How Does Hemingway Treat Women In Hills Like White Elephants

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Torvald in A Doll House and the American from Hills Like White Elephants have interesting personalities. The both treat the women in their lives like they are better then the women. They both take on a dominating role. They appear to lack any real emotion other than anger. They both seem to treat women poorly. There are several examples in each story of the men treating the women poorly. Right from the beginning of the play a doll house the reader gets a look at Torvalds mindset. When he hears noise he asks when did his squirrel come in and continues not address her as a person but by calling her by different animal names. This calling her by animal names is degrading and almost dehumanizing. He does not seem to want a wife as much as he wants a toy. He also does not have much interest in her instead of coming out of his office he says “can’t be disturbed.”(Ibsen 44)…show more content…
In the beginning of the story in instead of easing her anxiety about the operation he says “it’s really an awfully simple operation, Jig,” (Hemingway 212) thereby trivializing both the operation and her emotions. He goes on with “it’s really not anything.”(Hemingway 212) This is after the girl seems anxious by looking down to avoid looking at him. He is minimizing her emotions. He also seems clueless when she asks him to stop talking. He continues to talk and getting her more upset. He comes across as lacking any type of emotion toward her. He asks “Do you feel better?” (Hemingway 214) This question is as if he was not a part the upsetting conversation that previously took place. He throughout the conversation seems to have a short fuse with her. He seems to also have like to manipulate her in to doing things that he wants her to do. This story is also indicative of the time frame that it written in. Women were treated
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