Likewise, in FAT though having no description we focus on the action and want to find out more about the character. We do not make any judgements, as we do not know the background, so we focus on the message. This could be an ordinary conversation taking place in thousands of cafes across America (emphasis again this is an issue that affects all Americans). In addition, to this similarity, one name is mentioned, ‘Rudy’, which gives a clue to the ethnic background of the character, as the name Rudy has its roots in black America.
Nevertheless, even though the anonymity of the characters’ is important to both stories, the authors do give us a place and time. In Hills like White Elephants, the couple are in Spain and there is fifteen minutes until a train arrives. This use of time indicates to the reader that it is a snapshot – a moment in time albeit a crucial one where a decision regarding a human life is made. This uses of Spain, also makes the man distinguished, as he is ‘American’. In addition, the author is writing to an American audience, about American society’s problems, which would bring the story to the reader. In FAT, the story is placed in Denver, which, like Hills like White Elephants, brings the story to the American people. This is continued by the American spelling of words and the use of words like ‘napkin’ in FAT.
Even though, all the characters’ in the stories are American, they are very unalike. In Hills like White Elephants, the girl is shown as immature though the use of childish phrases like, ‘you started it’, and ignoring the man, because she is sensitive about it, or, believes the baby to be the man’s fault. The author also uses ‘girl’ and ‘man’ to make it seem that the ‘man’ is more mature about the abortion, rather than the ‘girl’ who wants to “stop talking” about it. This is different to FAT, where both the narrator and ‘Rudy’ talk openly about the situation, however ‘Rita’ is less judgemental. This is shown by how Rudy ‘laughs’ at the man’s situation instead of thinking why something is wrong with the man and the issue at hand.
The issues in both stories are portrayed very differently. In FAT, we are immediately made aware of the situation by the comical description of the ‘fatty’ who is ‘the fattest man I’ve ever seen’. The repetition of ‘fat’ then keeps the issue fresh in our minds. In addition to this, the author describes the man’s fingers as ‘long, thick, creamy fingers’. The use of ‘creamy’ makes us think of something full of calories and fat like the man. On the other hand, Hills like White Elephants uses subtlety and the reader only begins to realise something is wrong when tension is built though interactions and until a point where the couple argue of a stupid matter of whether the man has seen a ‘white elephant’. This further increases the awkwardness between the man and the girl, showing that something is building in both their minds, and that we are about to find out. This tension is maintained by the use of the only simile in the story about the girl believing there are ‘Hills like White Elephants’ in front of them, which is used to make the issue seem simplistic like the girls comment. Contrastingly, FAT uses many similes, to describe the man’s ‘long, thick, creamy fingers’ and other matters relating to the issue of the man’s obesity. The repetition of references to obesity is used to create layers upon layers of images, which could reflect the layers of the man (rolls of fat).
Portraying the issue in both stories requires realism with the conversation. This is shown in Hills like White Elephants, by the constant bickering between the couple showing that the situation is causing them both to be “unhappy”, and the man believes the abortion will make things “just like [they] were before”. The girl, however, is thinking about the situation more deeply, as she believes that only “[he] thinks then [they’ll] be all right”. Although this emotional depth is shown, it is quickly overruled by her phrase “and you think”, making her again sound immature. This emphasis on immaturity is used by the author to portray that the man is more informed and correct about the situation. In addition, the author could be trying to highlight that the girl did not want to have safe sex again making her the most foolish person of the two. Other hints of a disturbance in the relationship are portrayed though phrases like ‘try and have a fine time’, implying things are not ‘fine’, and that ‘[he]’ll love [her]’ only if she has the abortion.
However, different audiences would react to this story and issue in multiple ways. At the time the story was written, Americans would of reacted with more shock to the story. Whereas, now abortion is widespread the America of today would probably find the story uninteresting as abortion is universally performed and accepted.
In addition to this, the continuous dialogue creates suspense and holds the reader, as they find out things slowly rather than just describing the situation at the beginning, creating mystery and suspense. In FAT, there is a similarity as there is a constant reference to the man’s size is used. However, the conversation is shown to be real by the use of natural breaks when ‘he says’ is used, or the ‘puffing’ of the man. In addition, a time span is used, which is the course of the meal. This relates to western culture and creates a natural ending. The same is used with the ‘train’ in Hills like White Elephants.
It is interesting that both the authors have chosen to locate their stories in a restaurant and a café – both social gathering places which cater for the norms of civilised life: food and drink. It is probably deliberate that a social commentary is made in such a social place as it creates a story that affects all lifestyles. This could also link to the fact that in Fat the man is dinning alone even though he uses the pronoun ‘we’, which emphasises his loneliness, alienation or even size. In addition to this, maybe he used to have somebody who is no longer there for him, and he still holds this attachment, as the person was one of the few people that accepted him even though he was ‘fat’.
This alienation, detachment and loneliness can be linked to the girl in Hills like White Elephants as she might as well be alone dining as the man is not listening to her or nurturing a relationship of any kind. At the end of the day, humans are social animals who like to feel part of a community and it is therefore striking when these characters are so obviously outcasts.
However, the ending in FAT is very different to the ending in Hills like White Elephants. In Hills like White Elephants, the train comes and the couple leave, unlike in FAT where the narrator and Rudy get in bed and then as soon as Rudy ‘gets on [her]’ she feels ‘terrifically fat’. We are not told why this is but we know ‘[her] life is going to change’. This is also shown by the mention of ‘it is August’, the change between summer and winter. Therefore, we can only assume that her outlook has changed as well as her prejudice. This makes the reader empathetic towards the fat man and we see that, like abortion, obesity is an issue that needs to be understood to be resolved.
