Dominance and the Quest for Self in Alice Walker’s ‘Everyday Use’ and Ernest Hemingway’s ‘Hills Like White Elephants’
Alice Walker’s Everyday Use” and Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills like White Elephants” feature characters of different genders who strive to attain a sense of identity and individuality. In “Everyday Use,” Dee attempts to carve out her own place away from the faceless and indistinct communal nature of traditional African-American communities. On the other hand, in Hemingway’s literature, the character known only as “the man” cryptically seeks his true masculine self. Both characters derive their sense of belonging and self through a nearly ruthless desire to make everything and everyone conform to their beliefs and desires. However, as seen in the conclusion of both short stories, there are always cases when things do not turn out as they want them to, no matter how much they force it.
Dee’s true nature is most evident in her mother’s daydreams. This subliminal message reveals just how much the mother knows about her daughter’s controlling tendencies. While waiting for Dee to arrive, the mother fantasizes about a tearful reunion between them on a TV program (Walker 273). However, even in this fictional world she has created, the mother understands that she cannot appear as herself on the show. Instead, she must become what Dee wants her to be: a hundred pounds lighter” with “skin like uncooked barley pancake” (273). Dee desires to present an idealized version of her mother and not the “large, big-boned woman with rough, man-working hands…[who] wear[s] flannel nightgowns to bed and overalls during the day” (273). She only wants to associate herself with people who reflect the image she wishes to project: that of a woman of style and sophistication.
On the other hand, the man in Hills” is similar to Dee as he is also seeking to find his true self. However, for him, identity is not about being separate from the faceless community but rather establishing and defining his masculinity. It’s ironic that he’s called “the man” because he’s not comfortable with who he is and instead manipulates and controls Jig to feel like a man. Even though he says, “I wouldn’t have you do it if you didn’t want to,” he quickly adds, “But I know it’s perfectly simple (Hemingway 330),” showing that he isn’t sincere in wanting Jig not to have an abortion but instead trying to force her into seeing things his way. This behavior is typical of a macho character.
This desire to establish a unique identity for oneself is not necessarily negative. However, the insensitivity and selfishness displayed by Dee and the man in their pursuit of this goal is deplorable. They appear to disregard the feelings and emotions of those closest to them, demonstrating a willingness to trample on others in order to achieve their objectives.
Dee’s insensitivity is evident in her decision to change her name from Dicie to Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo (Walker 276). Dicie, the name given to her at birth, connects her with her ancestors as it is also the name of both her grandmother and auntie (276). However, Dee’s behavior was not due to shame regarding her culture. On the contrary, she wanted to wear it like a badge but with an updated fashion sense. She acquired a churner and dasher as display items for her house without realizing their cultural and emotional significance for both her mother and sister. Dee shows insensitivity when she tries to control both of them during their fight over the quilts. She insists on having them since Maggie can’t appreciate [them]” (278). Maggie thinks that “her sister has held life in the palm of one hand” (272) and gives in to Dee’s wants out of fear. What is most striking about this exchange is that the quilts were reserved for Maggie’s wedding (278), symbolizing a new change in status and life. They also represented the final link that their family has with its past because they were made from bits and pieces of cloth cut from dresses worn by relatives and ancestors (278).
On the other hand, the man showed insensitivity when he repeatedly tried to manipulate and force Jig into having an abortion. He dismissed the baby as insignificant and claimed that the abortion process was an awfully simple operation” (Hemingway 329). The man’s concerns were solely focused on himself, stating “I love it but I just can’t think about it. You know how I get when I worry” (330). He did not consider Jig’s feelings or worries about the operation and her well-being afterwards. Instead, he was only concerned with maintaining his relationship with Jig without having to worry about a baby. When Jig expressed her concerns, he brushed them off by saying “I won’t worry about that because it’s perfectly simple” (330). The man failed to understand how losing their unborn child could affect Jig emotionally and disregarded her worries entirely.
Finally, Dee and the man are very much alike in that they are both caught in the grips of change. Their situation has led them to try to come to terms with their own identities.
Dee was caught in the upheavals that were changing African-American communities at that time, as she expressed in her final words to Maggie before departing: It’s really a new day for us” (Walker 279). Dee recognizes the extent of change and expects it to continue based on her education and travels. She feels more refined than her family because she studied in Augusta (274) and drives a car (275). By promoting a new approach to preserving traditions – showcasing common objects as artifacts rather than using them for everyday purposes, as her mother and sister do (278) – Dee is already losing touch with her roots. Her culture values tradition by consistently incorporating it into daily life. When Dee’s mother takes the quilts from her and gives them to Maggie, it becomes apparent that Dee has lost the battle to establish herself. Although she once had possession of the quilts, which symbolized her identity, they have slipped away from her grasp. Her mother represents tradition and reminds Dee that respecting one’s roots is necessary for finding one’s true sense of self.
For the man, drastic change is represented by Jig’s pregnancy. He had grown accustomed to having Jig all to himself and now must come to terms with the fact that those days may soon be over. Hemingway emphasizes the number two throughout the story, indicating that the man wants to maintain the status quo and not have to share Jig with anyone else.
When Jig points out how the hills of Ebro look like white elephants” (Hemingway 329), it becomes clear that they are discussing more than just their appearance – they symbolize Jig’s pregnancy. The man becomes defensive when she suggests he would never have seen a white elephant, insisting that her statement doesn’t prove anything (329).
In an extended metaphor at the end of the story, Hemingway depicts the man picking up two heavy bags (332) which represent his current situation with Jig. He carries them to the station and looks for a train but does not see one, symbolizing his inability to find a solution to his problems. Returning inside, he remains restless (332) as he has not resolved anything and may have even made things worse.
Like Dee in “Everyday Use,” this man fails to define himself or become his ideal self. He believes achieving this ideal self is contingent on convincing Jig to agree with what he wants.
In the end, these two characters emphasize that identity is a slippery thing. They portray the feeling of alienation in a world that is rapidly evolving. The quest to know oneself and follow the outcome of both stories starts not by looking to others but by closely examining one’s inner self and accepting it, no matter what it may be. It is only through this self-realization and understanding that one can overcome the feeling of alienation.
Works Cited.
Hemingway, Ernest. Hills Like White Elephants.” American Voices: Culture and
Community, edited by Dolores LaGuardia and Hans P. Guth, was published in California by Mayfield Publishing Company in 2000. The book spans from pages 328 to 332.
Walker, Alice. Everyday Use.” American Voices: Culture and Community. Edited by Dolores.
LaGuardia and Hans P. Guth wrote a book titled California” which was published by Mayfield Publishing Company in the year 2000. The book spans across pages 272-279.
