Gender-Associated Misconception
Dialogues play a critical part in organizing short stories as they aid the audience or readers to understand characters easily, as well as revealing feelings an action of the characters. Primarily, dialogues are used for making clear communication with the readers concerning some essential issues associated with the character’s speech, which is applied in their tales. Moreover, dialogues enable the reader to comprehend the different personality traits of the protagonists involved in the stories. They give the original voice to the narratives to make them appear realistic. It is critical for all the writers to have a proper plan on the structure for the short stories they are authoring, such that the moods and thought the readers could adequately interpret the process of characters. For the readers, the speaker is vital as it reveals the hidden thoughts and attitudes of the protagonists to the reader who finally aids the reader to have a better comprehension of characters and the story in general. This is apparent in Adichie’s “A private Experience, “Kincaid’s “Girl,” and Hemingway’s Hills Like White Elephant.” An in-depth discussion on the functionality of female dialogues in these short stories is explored to unearth gender-related misconstructions.
In “Hills like White Elephants,” the author outlines the fact that the association between the lady and the American man is at peril. He applies the background at the train station to demonstrate that the association between the lady and the American man is not the ultimate point for their lives (Hemingway 12). This implies that it is not a committed and serious relationship, but instead an association that strives to satisfy bodily pleasure. As it is understood, the author capitalizes on the simile structure in the short story. Moreover, Hemingway gives a clue that a white elephant is anything unwelcome or someone being sorry for doing something that exposed from the conversation when the girl wants to keep her infant. Still, the infant is unwelcome by his father, and the girl is compelled to abort her unborn baby. At the onset of the story, the lady observes that “the neighboring hills appear like a white elephant.” Still, truly when having a close look, the hills do not appear like elephants (Hemingway 26). It is only a representation of the last dreams or hopes and the difficult period that the lady lives in. He applied the phrase white elephant, which, in the real sense, does not exist to represent the admired leadership of the American man. Precisely, the controlling American man compels the girl to lose her unborn and convinces her to abort. The girl is so much concerned about losing her child since she is subordinated in the narrative and dominated by the American man who handles her as a prostitute. In his story, Hemingway, he always exemplifies the relations among women and men as a temporary relationship for satisfying desires only.
In “A Private Experience” by Chimamanda Adichie, a religious conflict is precisely demonstrated right at the instruction. Adichie presents a Christian Igbo girl who runs away from a violent demonstration with a Muslim lady whose faith and self-respect compel her to experience the fears and realities she has been running from. Various illustrations are used to show the differences between these two individuals, but the most outstanding one is the scarf and how it has been portrayed in this short story. The veil which is dangling around this lady’s neck symbolizes who she is an individual and her culture (Adichie 170-179).
In Adichie’s short story, the functionality of dialogue has been used to a certain level that it appears to present the original language. The conversation has been used so clearly that it has given life to the protagonists on the narratives. The reality has been highlighted with the support of dialogues while the story is advanced. The readers have keenly interpreted the feelings and interests of the characters with the appropriate application of conversations in the short stories of Adichie, Hemingway, and Kincaid. The simplicity of language and wording is apparent in these short stories, and through the easiness, the short stories have become more comprehendible and suitable to the readers.
Hemingway has left the reader in a state of confusion by not revealing the real signal of the short story at the beginning. At some point, the reader is unable to understand the aim or fact of the event, but the effectiveness of his narrative style slowly spreads the screen by revealing the clear drive of the event. Moreover, Hemingway always does not offer a proper definition of the protagonists; however, the readers of his piece get hints of the characters by going through the story keenly. For instance, in “Hills like White Elephants,” the reader is inept of understanding the names of the characters. Still, after a short period, the reader comes to understand their interest in meeting at the station. Therefore, thoughtful dialogue can disseminate essential factors regarding the characters.
The application of dialogue enables the reader to identify the issue of that girl, and the primary issue centers on her pregnancy. The subjects of pregnancy and abortion are generated through the dialogue between the man and the girl. Hemingway has provided a clear explanation regarding the fear of the couple by stimulating appropriate feelings into the conversations of characters. The author has depicted the selfishness of the man, which becomes apparent when he wants the woman to abort her unborn baby by sending some controlling words. The use of skillful conversation aids the reader to comprehend the needs of the man; the only demand of the man satisfies his desires. The conversation in the short story appears to be more actual when the pair are arguing over a subject, and they are striving to get a conclusion. The communication enables the reader to grip the narrative with the conveyance of clear dialogues.
The usage of vivid dialogues by Adichie has made her common among her readers because she has well followed the techniques of omission. Through this technique, she has managed to avoid unnecessary issues of the events highlighted in the short story. The theme of ethnocentrism and racism in her short story “A private Experience,” where we get it, uses the technique of dialogue. The simplicity of conversation makes the reader understand how the Muslim Hausa people demonstrate because of conflicts with the Christian Igbo people. Each faction believes their people and religion is more fabulous. Chika, who may not have much understanding regarding people outside her society, forges a relationship with the Hausa woman in the time they spent together during the demonstration. Irrespective of their religious differences, the Hausa lady supports Chika. Afterword, when Chika comes across the burnt bodies on the streets, she states that she cannot tell if they are Hausa or Igbo, Muslim, or Christian. The skillful conversation leaves the reader undefined as they are not entirely conscious of the conclusions of the narrative. The theme of individuality has been discussed by the dialogues applied in these short stories. Towards the climax, the reader comes to understand that Chika and the Muslim woman will form an everlasting bond. Thus, it is the skillful conveyance of the dialogue that keeps the reader thinking about the impending proceedings of the short story.
Kincaid’s short story “Girl,” there is a scene where the mother wants to exercise dominance over her daughter in the context of what to do as a woman and what not to. Women in society prejudice the ideas and directions that the mother provides to her daughter. For instance, the mother states that the daughter should not engage in a marble game like a boy and that the girl should concentrate on house chores (Kincaid 18). These remarks demonstrate that the mother believes that there are some engagements that women cannot or should not undertake. These stereotypes widen the difference between the genders. Women thought that the only place for women in the kitchen, which demonstrates an outdated and unfair character trait on a person. Thus, it can be summarized that by authoring the story, the writer strives to make people conscious of the negative thoughts and beliefs of the parents regarding the individual life of their sons and daughters.
The mother is an illustration of the notion that women should be confined to the house, and men can move out without limitation. Most significantly, by just repeating the phrase “slut,” the mother keeps calling her daughter in a provocative manner (Kincaid 28). It can be stated that the circumstance redevelops in the daughter the type of discrimination against women that the mother has encountered, perhaps in her teenage years. In this manner, Kincaid successfully demonstrates some of the problems of society and how parents could spread prejudice through generations.
This paper has explored the functionality of conversation in ”Hills Like White Elephants”, Kincaid’s short story “Girl,” and “A private Experience” After a close reading and examination of these short stories, it can be summarized that the usage of conversation in a short story can be of great importance as with the aid of dialogue, the reader can give a better interpretation and a rather deep comprehension of the author’s thoughts. Moreover, conversation in short stories plays a significant role in assessing the protagonist’s behaviors as well as thoughts. Additionally, with the support of dialogue, a reader can think out the meanings o the motifs, images, and symbols experienced in the story.
Works Cited
Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi. “A private experience.” Virginia Quarterly Review 80.3 (2004): 170-179.
Hemingway, Ernest. “Hills like white elephants.” Men without women (1927).
Kincaid, Jamaica. Girl. San Francisco Examiner, 1991.