Dysfunctional Doctor Dynamic

When reading Ernest Hemingway’s short story The Doctor and the Doctor’s Wife, I was struck by the odd dynamic between the two characters referenced in the title -- the doctor and his wife. The title makes the story seem like it’s going to revolve around these two characters, but the wife is only present for a small part of this story. Thus, it’s important to pay close attention to the doctor and his wife’s limited interactions.

The doctor and the wife seem like a very odd, mismatched couple. He is a medical professional -- a man of science. One of the first facts that we learn about his wife is that she is a Christian Scientist. This sect of Christianity is known for avoiding medical treatment and trying to solve all ailments through prayer instead. From this information alone, it seems like the doctor and his wife have completely different ideologies on how they view the world.

Additionally, relating to the wife’s religious beliefs, she tries to preach to her husband and shouts moral proverbs at him. After her husband returns home and she hears of his “row” with Dick Boulton, she tells him, “Remember, that he who ruleth his spirit is greater than he that taketh a city” (25). The husband does not respond to this comment and instead starts to aggressively clean his shotgun.

Overall, the couple seems to have a unhealthy, frustrated relationship. The wife’s probing questions seem annoying, and the doctor is frustrated with being hassled by her. He gives her curt answers such as “yes,” “no,” and “nothing much” (26). Additionally, the whole conversation is in two separate rooms. In fact, the doctor and his wife never even see each other! This seems like there is some sort of disconnect and distance in their relationship. Similarly, the wife seems to live her life obsessing and fretting over her husband. In the middle of the day, the wife is “lying with the blinds drawn” in a room, waiting for her husband to come home. When he arrives, she bombards him with a litany of questions. Finally, before the husband leaves, the wife asks him, “If you see Nick, dear, will you tell him that his mother wants to see him?” (27). The doctor finds Nick and delivers the message, but Nick doesn’t want to see his mother. The doctor allows Nick to disregard and disrespect his mother’s wishes by not going to see her.

The doctor and his wife seem to have an odd, unhealthy, and frustrating relationship. I think this dynamic will be key to keep in mind as stories continue to unfold about the doctor, his wife, and Nick.

Setting is Significant

In the short story Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway, the setting of the story plays a significant role. The entirety of the story is told in one location: the bar at a train station, looking out at the tracks, the hills, and the valley. The location of the train station represents how the man and woman are at a crossroads. They need to make a huge decision: whether or not to get the abortion. They are at a crucial time for decision-making, and using a train station as the setting enhances this pressure. The man wants to take the train to get the abortion, but the woman isn’t as sure. The two train tracks going in different directions represent the two choices, one being what the man wants, and the other being what the woman wants.

Additionally, the scenery outside of the train station plays a key role. When the man and woman are arguing about the abortion, the girl turns away and looks out on the surroundings: “Across, on the other side, were fields of grain and trees along the banks of the Ebro. Far away, beyond the river, were, mountains. The shadow of a cloud moved across the field of grain and she saw the river through the trees” (3). After looking at the lush, vibrant, diverse, and lively nature, the girl blurts out, “we could have all of this,” meaning that she could have the baby (3). Later in the story, the girl again looks out on the scenery: “the girl looked across at the hills on the dry side of the valley” (6). The lush, beautiful side of the valley contrasts directly with the dry, dead side of the valley. These sides represent the two choices the girl can make in this situation. It seems that the girl wants the beautiful side full of life, but it’s unclear what she decides in the end.
Overall, the setting is pretty stagnant. It is described as being “very hot” with “no shade and no trees” and a “warm wind” (1, 2). There isn’t much excitement going on; it’s not like there are trains whizzing by or people bustling around. The scene is hot, dry, and dull. This stagnant, sluggish setting represents the man and the woman’s situation. They each have different opinions, and have reached a standstill. They have exhausted the topic of abortion so much that the woman desperately begs the man, “would you please please please please please please please stop talking?” (6) In many ways, the setting both represents and enhances what is going on in the story. By examining the setting, we allow for a deeper reading of Hills Like White Elephants.