The American Sparknotes

594 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: 'The American' characters analysis

The story takes place at a train stop. There’s a couple An American, and the girl, Jig, waiting at a train station in the shade outside the building until another train come in forty minutes to take them to Madrid. While they are waiting they decided to order drinks. The American seems the only one who understands and knows how to speak Spanish. The girl notices some words painted on the bead curtains (Anis dil Toro) in which The American tells her it’s a drink, She asked him could they try it. The girl stated that the drink tastes like licorice. The American discuss his wishes that he wants the girl, Jig, to have an operation not specifying what kind. Then he stated It’s not really an operation at all but to let the air in. He assures …show more content…

Jig stated that she also know people as well. The American tells her that everything would be happy again once it’s done. He claims that this is the best choice to make. He claims he doesn’t want her to do it; if she’s uncomfortable about it. She reluctantly agrees to go through the procedure only if he will still love her and things would return back to normal again. The girl asked the American to stop talking about her operation; but he proceeds on anyway. Then he tells the girl if she decides not to through the operation it’s ok. The girl then asked The American to do something for her. The American agreed to do anything for her. She then said, “Would you please, please, please, please, please, please, please, stop talking?” The bartender gave them two more drinks and stated the train would be there in five minutes. The girl had ask the American what she said ; he told her. The American takes the bags to the other side of the station for boarding. When he returned back to the girl, he asked if she was fine, she agreed. I don’t think anything was solve. It seemed as if she going to have the operation done just to get along with the American. I really enjoyed the story because this

Show More
Related

  • IND AFF Sparknotes

    1095 Words  | 3 Pages

    What would you do for love? Would you break up a marriage or assassinate an Archduke? In the short story “IND AFF” by Fay Weldon the narrator must make a choice on whether or not to continue her love affair while examining the Princip’s murder of the Archduke Ferdinand and his wife. The story is set in Sarajevo in Bosnia, Yugoslavia where the assassination took place. Through irony, symbolism and setting, Weldon uses the parallel between the narrator and Pincip to show that seemingly inconsequential actions of an individual can have great consequences.

    Read More

  • Jig

    755 Words  | 2 Pages

    The character of Jig is also very indecisive. After The American Man is persuading her to have an abortion, she states that she is willing to have the operation if it will make The American Man happy, and insures he will no longer worry. She also states that since she doesn’t care about herself, she will have the procedure because it will please The American Man. Later during the story, while they are outside looking at the hills, the two have the conversation of:

    Read More

  • Tweaked Sparknotes

    530 Words  | 2 Pages

    Written by Katherine Holubitsky, Tweaked is a novel that shows the readers how dangerous drugs are to both the user and their peers. With the two year meth addiction, Chase continues to financially and emotionally drain out his family however; the problems becomes worse when Chase escapes from his dealer's house. Richard Cross, the man Chase attacked, died and as a result, Chase is charged with murder. His mother secretly proceeds to monetarily support Chase but when she was caught, the bond between the family members exacerbated. Time elapsed and Chase was finally caught when stealing a car however, he dies shortly after and overdose and becomes brain dead. Tweaked shows us the reality of how hazardous drugs can be through the physical

    Read More

  • The Ugly America Sparknotes

    1534 Words  | 4 Pages

    The novel, The Ugly America, by William J. Lederer and Eugene Burdick, was published in 1958. The story takes place during the height of the cold war in the early 1950’s in Southeast Asia, centering on the fictional country of Sarkhan. The United States is attempting to defeat communism in Southeast Asia and gain supremacy over the Soviet Union. Unlike their Russian counterparts, the diplomats representing the United States in this mission to defeat communism in Sarkhan fail to understand the local culture and address the needs of the people. Assigned to Sarkhan, Ambassador Gilbert MacWhite is dedicated and intelligent, employing a prodigious effort to fulfill the mission. During MacWhite’s tenure, other U.S. officials and citizens are able to invoke positive change. However, the failure of high level diplomats, without a clear strategy, undermines their efforts. In the end, Ambassador MacWhite makes several key mistakes. He is unable to execute the change necessary to address the threat of communism, poverty, and underdevelopment in Sarkhan, leaving him responsible for the failure of his mission.

    Read More

  • Perspectives on Unplanned Pregnancies: Hills Like White Elephants, and Good People

    963 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hence, it implies her disbelief and realization that things would not change much whether or not she got the abortion. Jig’s desire to keep the child is further evident when she tells him “[they] can get along” (593). She sees the possibility of a happy life with the child; the American sees it as an obstacle. Therefore, he continues in his effort to persuade her otherwise because “[he knows] lots of people that have done it” (592).... ...

    Read More

  • On Writing in America: The Politics, Criticism, and Fiction of William Dean Howells

    3695 Words  | 8 Pages

    Upon hearing of an event which has become known as "The Haymarket Incident," a violent outbreak that involved strikers at the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company on May 4, 1886, William Dean Howells felt provoked to respond.1 Whatever personal motives this highly publicized incident sparked in Howells, who was successful novelist and influential critic of the literature and social issues of his time, the strike and subsequent executions of seven of the protesters involved had a trenchant effect on this respected man of letters. Howells illustrated his remorse for what he understood as a profound legal injustice in a letter he wrote to a friend shortly before the hanging of the Haymarket protesters: "It blackens my life. I feel the horror and the shame of the crime which the law is about to commit against justice."2

    Read More

  • Terry Kincaid Sparknotes

    928 Words  | 2 Pages

    The epic tale of the moonshine wars and racial tension that erupted in Kincaid, Georgia, as told through the eyes of a grandson.

    Read More

  • Wait Till Next Year Sparknotes

    815 Words  | 2 Pages

    Wait Till Next Year is a book written by Doris Kearns Goodwin. Wait Till Next Year is a book written in Goodwin’s point of view set in Rockville Center, New York. The book begins with Goodwin’s father teaching her the scorekeeping rules of baseball in the summer of 1949. After her father taught her how to properly record a baseball game she would sit in front of the radio and listen to the game every day and would record everything each player did during that game. Then when her father would arrive home from work she would relay to him all that had happened during the game of that day. As Goodwin looks back on this in her book she begins to think that it is because of these times with her father that she has a love for history and for storytelling.

    Read More

  • Hills Like White Elephants, by Ernest Hemingway

    781 Words  | 2 Pages

    As the reader begins to read the story it seems that everything is fine between the woman and the American man. They are having a normal conversation. Then the American man mentions to the woman that the operation she is going to have is nothing big. "It's really an awfully simple operation, Jig," the man said. "It's not really an operation at all. (253)" After this statement the reader can sense the woman seems to be worried or concerned about the operation. She does not answer the man with any quickness. She is said to be just starring at the ground. When she finally speaks to the man, she wants reassurance that after the operation everything will be fine and back to normal. "We'll be fine afterward. Just like we were before. (253)" At this point the reader can sense some tension between the man and woman.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Hills Like White Elephant By Ernest Hemingway

    1008 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the starting of the story, while they drink, they start a discussion about an abortion. The American man tells the woman that it is very simple operation and on the other hand the woman tries to oppose him. In the story, the American say, “It’s really awfully simple operation, Jig” (183) which indicates

    Read More

  • Ayiti Sparknotes

    999 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ayiti, by Roxane Gay, is a collection of fifteen short narratives about Haiti and its people, which gives the readers insights into the complex Haitian diaspora experience. The novel seeks to offer a deeper view into Haitian society and covers an array of themes such as the politics of survival, resiliency, and feminist culture in Haiti. Throughout the novel, Gay is highly critical of mainstream media because of how they depict and silo Haiti as a poor and helpless country. Haiti’s historical stance on censorship is well documented, and as a Haitian writer living in America, Gay is successful in giving agency to the voiceless by chronicling the stories of the Haitian diaspora. Ayiti explores stories that explain what it is like to be a Haitian

    Read More

  • Women's Roles in Hills Like White Elephants, by Ernest Hemingway

    1067 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...ogy by saying to her that she doesn't have to go through the operation if she doesn't want to, but convinces her to do so. Their lack of dialogue makes it easy for him to get his way all the time. He never approaches the real issue, like the emotional part of the abortion. Instead, he talks about how simple the operation really is. "I know you wouldn't mind it, Jig. It's really not anything. It's just to let the air in," he says. The man is not in love with her and only loves to please himself.

    Read More

  • What Does Jig Mean

    594 Words  | 2 Pages

    The story's first paragraph has "The American and the girl" then also goes on with "It was very hot and the express from Barcelona would come in forty minutes" which already indicated they're traveling. When the girl is complaining about "[looking] at things and [trying] new drinks" it

    Read More

  • Symbolism In Hills Like White Elephants

    856 Words  | 2 Pages

    However, he never directly tells her his desires and instead attempts to manipulate her as he feels his desire is in their best interest regardless of how he achieves his desire. However, he does not realize that in his examples he is strengthening Jig’s resolve and conviction in her own wishes. Earlier on in the narrative, the American is quick to turn and begin attempting to conform Jig, without any warning or inkling of a change in topic; he quickly turns it into what he wants: “‘Should we have another drink?’ ‘All right.’ ‘The [beer is] nice and cool,’ the man says.

    Read More

  • Character Motivations in Hills Like White Elephants

    578 Words  | 2 Pages

    To sum up, Jig has realized her desires, motivations, and traits that convey her needs. The story is an acknowledgment of an everyday struggle that women deal with. Jig realizes that she needs to do what makes her happy, not what makes her companion happy. The story implies how the companion felt, not how Jig felt about the abortion. Jig's character grows emotionally, and builds up confidence throughout the story. Her thoughts about her companion change throughout the story. "Do you feel better?" he asked. "I feel fine," she said. "There's nothing wrong with me. I feel fine"(191). Jig is a powerful woman and is not persuaded to make a decision with which she is not comfortable.

    Read More

More about The American Sparknotes

Open Document