Male Dominance In Hills Like White Elephants and The...

Both Ernest Hemingway’s Hills Like White Elephants and John Steinbeck’s The Chrysanthemums portray oppressed female characters in the early 1900s. In Hemingway’s short, Jig is oppressed by her lover known only as â€Å"The American,† whereas, the main character in The Chrysanthemums, Elisa Allen, feels the weight of oppression from society (male dominated) as a whole. Although the driving force of the two women’s subjugation varies slightly, their emotional responses to such are what differentiate the two. Throughout Hills Like White Elephants, the American refers to his girlfriend only as Jig (which is a device used for measuring whiskey). This nickname implies that he sees her only as an object; a companion to his wolfish†¦show more content†¦It’s really not anything. It’s just to let the air in. (†¦) We’ll be fine afterward. Just like we were before† (pg 639). Although she does seem to struggle with the decision, it isn’t long until she relinquishes her objection, giving him authority over her morality and judgment. In The Chrysanthemum, Elisa Allen’s character is clearly the result of oppression in a male dominated community. Early on, Steinbeck makes it a point to establish her femininity (or lack there of) as the result of her marriage to, and life with, a common rancher and farmer: â€Å"Her figure looked blocked and heavy in her gardening costume, a man’s black hat pulled down over her eyes, clodhopper shoes, a figured print dress almost completely covered by a big corduroy apron with four big pockets to hold the snips, the trowel and scratcher, the seeds and the knife she worked with† (pg 1611). Elisa has obviously taken on a more masculine faà §ade due to her years spent on the farm. However, it seems apparent, both early on and later in the story that she has tried to maintain what femininity she has. She does not help with the ranch or the cultivation of the orchard, but rather tends to her own garden. Her reportedly stellar chrysanthemums represent her delicate side. By maintaining and ensuring a yearly exemplary flourish, Elisa sustains and nourishes her suppressed womanly essence. Although Steinbeck reveals that, â€Å"The