How Do Ernest Hemingway’s and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Approaches to Relationships Compare?

How Do Ernest Hemingway’s and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Approaches to Relationships Compare?

(In the Context of Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” and Fitzgerald’s Treatment of Romantic and Marital Bonds)

Direct Answer:
In “Hills Like White Elephants”, Ernest Hemingway presents relationships as emotionally distant, ambiguous, and power-laden, focusing on communication breakdown and gendered dynamics. By contrast, F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays relationships largely as symbolic reflections of class, status and materialism (rather than authentic emotional connection). Thus, while Hemingway zeroes in on a moment of relational crisis and the silences within a couple’s dynamic, Fitzgerald uses relational entanglements to critique social structures and illusions of love. The comparison shows that Hemingway emphasizes internal interpersonal tension; Fitzgerald emphasizes external societal pressures upon relationships.

Introduction

In literary studies of twentieth-century American fiction, one frequently encounters the contrasting approaches of two major figures: Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Both authors engage deeply with relationships between men and women, but they do so in markedly different ways. Hemingway’s short story “Hills Like White Elephants” (1927) offers an austere depiction of a couple at a moment of decision, where the very structure of their relationship is under strain. Critics note that the story emphasises ambiguity, minimalism and a power imbalance between partners. eNotes+2Literariness+2 In contrast, Fitzgerald’s major novel The Great Gatsby (1925) and his broader fiction treat relationships as vehicles to explore themes of class, wealth, social aspiration and the collapse of the American Dream. SparkNotes+2Online SAT / ACT Prep Blog+2

In this paper I (Martin Munyao Muinde) will compare Hemingway’s approach in “Hills Like White Elephants” with Fitzgerald’s treatment of relationships, focusing on: the portrayal of power and gender, the role of communication and silence, the symbolic function of relationships, and the outcome or trajectory of relational dynamics. Through this comparative lens we will see how each author’s technique and thematic concern differ—and what they reveal about American literature of the early twentieth century.

Subtopic 1: Power, Gender & Decision-Making in Relationships

Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” revolves around a single conversation between an American man and his female companion, “the girl” (Jig). The story’s central issue—implicitly an abortion—is never named, but the power structures are clear: the man insists on “the operation” while the girl vacillates. Hemingway uses gendered dialogue to reveal the imbalance: the man repeatedly insists that the choice is hers (“It’s perfectly simple.” / “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”) yet simultaneously pushes for a decision that aligns with his desire for freedom and non-commitment. Indian Premier League+1

The girl, on the other hand, asks questions, appeals to imagery (“They look like white elephants”), and attempts to explore the possibilities of her own future, but she is silenced by the man’s rationalising tone. The dominant position of the man is emphasised by critics: “the man … ultimately guided by his own desires” while the woman is passive or acquiescent. LitCharts+1

In Fitzgerald’s work, gender and power also operate but often in the dimension of social status rather than intimate decision-making. In The Great Gatsby, relationships such as that between Daisy Buchanan and Tom Buchanan are shaped by wealth, privilege and social role rather than an explicit negotiation of gendered power. Tom’s dominance is supported by his class, his entitlement, and his affair with Myrtle Wilson; Daisy is shaped by social expectation and material comfort. According to one analysis, the marriage of Tom and Daisy persists not because of passionate love but because of “class … a much stronger bond than love”. Online SAT / ACT Prep Blog+1

Comparison:
While both authors depict relationships where one partner holds greater power, Hemingway emphasises immediate interpersonal gender dynamics—decisions, silences, persuasion—whereas Fitzgerald shows power embedded in social and economic structure, where gender is overshadowed by class and wealth. Hemingway’s scene is intimate and one-on-one; Fitzgerald’s relational tableau spans multiple couples and societal layers.

Subtopic 2: Communication, Silence and the Unsaid

A hallmark of Hemingway’s style—and especially evident in “Hills Like White Elephants”—is minimalism and the “iceberg theory”: most of the substance lies beneath the surface of the dialogue. The conversation between the couple is laden with unspoken meaning: the word “operation” is a euphemism, the hills that “look like white elephants” signal deeper baggage, the train station setting implies transition. Connotations+2Literariness+2

The communication is fractured: the man speaks what appears to be rationally supportive (“If you don’t want to you don’t have to”) while his actions and repeated persuasion suggest a different motive. The girl asks for clarity yet receives ambiguity. The ending—“I feel fine… There’s nothing wrong with me. I feel fine.”—is a surface affirmation masking emotional turbulence. LitCharts+1

By contrast, Fitzgerald’s relationships are laden with talk, but the communication often reveals superficiality, self-delusion, or social performance. In The Great Gatsby, many characters talk of love or affection, yet their words reflect ambition, nostalgia, or self-image more than genuine interaction. Nick Carraway observes that in Daisy and Tom’s marriage “they weren’t happy … and yet they weren’t unhappy either.” Online SAT / ACT Prep Blog

Thus, in Fitzgerald’s universe, it is not so much what is unsaid that defines the relationship, but what is mis-said, distorted or performed. The relational breakdown often arises from characters speaking to maintain illusions rather than to discover truth.

Comparison:
Hemingway uses silence and minimal speech to expose relational fault lines, forcing the reader to infer the true dynamics. Fitzgerald uses voluminous speech and social chatter to reveal the emptiness of relational substance. In short, what is not said dominates Hemingway’s relational landscape; what is over said dominates Fitzgerald’s.

Subtopic 3: The Symbolic Role of Relationships

In “Hills Like White Elephants”, the relationship serves as the focal point of crisis. The couple’s bond is overshadowed by the decision about the unborn child (or operation), and the setting—the train station between two tracks, the hills described as white elephants—symbolises multiple possibilities: staying or leaving, carrying or abandoning, moving ahead or standing still. Critics note that the story’s theme is “freedom at the cost of honesty, respect, and commitment.” LitCharts+1

Hemingway’s relationship is a micro-cosm of relational and gender tensions; it is isolated and symbolic of a rupture in communication and decision. The story leaves the outcome ambiguous, emphasising the precariousness of the relationship and the weight of the unspoken. Connotations

On the other hand, Fitzgerald uses relationships as vehicles to explore the larger social world: the decay of the American Dream, class stratification, materialism, and moral ambiguity. Relationships are less about the personal than the structural. For example, Gatsby’s relentless pursuit of Daisy is not only about love but about social ascent and self-transformation; Tom and Daisy’s marriage is about inherited status and reckless privilege. One scholar writes: “the relationship at the very heart … is less a true love story and more a depiction of Gatsby’s obsessive desire to relive—or even redo—his own past.” Online SAT / ACT Prep Blog+1

Comparison:
Hemingway’s relational depiction is intimate, isolated, and symbolic of internal conflict; Fitzgerald’s is expansive, connected to culture and society, and symbolic of external conflict. Hemingway’s relationship problem is personal; Fitzgerald’s are impersonal and emblematic of societal ills.

Subtopic 4: Outcome and Trajectory of Relationship Dynamics

In “Hills Like White Elephants”, the outcome is unresolved. We do not know what the girl ultimately chooses, and we are left with the final chilling affirmation: “I feel fine.” The ambiguity itself suggests the relationship may not survive—or if it does, it will continue in a tenuous form. One analysis notes: “the end suggests that this relationship … will remain stalled in its present unhealthy state until it likely falls apart completely.” LitCharts+1

Hemingway thus offers no redemption or resolution; the relationship remains suspended, highlighting the fragility of emotional intimacy when grounded in unequal power and silence.

In Fitzgerald’s works, relationships often end dramatically and catastrophically. In The Great Gatsby, the romantic obsession ends in death, the affair ends in violence, and the marriage survives only in collusion and irresponsibility. Ultimately, the characters retreat into the safety of their wealth: “They were careless people … they smashed up things and animals and then retreated into their money.” Online SAT / ACT Prep Blog+1

Thus Fitzgerald presents relationships as doomed not due only to interpersonal failure but rather to the weight of societal structures and illusions. They end in moral collapse, not merely emotional distance.

Comparison:
Hemingway’s relationship ends in stalemate and silence; Fitzgerald’s end in tragedy and moral nihilism. Hemingway gives us the moment of decision; Fitzgerald gives the aftermath of illusion. Hemingway leaves the reader in suspense; Fitzgerald leaves the reader in disillusionment.

Subtopic 5: Style, Form & Relational Representation

Hemingway’s form is spare, terse, and focused. In “Hills Like White Elephants”, the story takes place mostly in one location, involves only two main characters, and emphasises dialogue and setting rather than exposition. This formal austerity mirrors the emotional detachment of the relationship. Critics emphasise the use of ambiguity and minimalism in the story’s structure. PapersOwl+1

Fitzgerald’s style in The Great Gatsby and related works is more expansive, lush, symbolic and socially engaged. His depiction of relationships is entangled in time, memory, parties, class settings and multiple characters. The relational representation is broad and layered: not just the couple, but the society around them, the narrator, the classes, the aspirations. For instance, the narrative voice of Nick Carraway provides reflective commentary on the relationships he observes, making them part of a larger structure of commentary and critique. Medium+1

Comparison:
Hemingway’s style reinforces relational detachment and momentary crisis through minimalist form; Fitzgerald’s style reinforces relational disillusion and social critique through rich, layered narrative. The mode of presentation thus aligns with each author’s thematic focus on relationships.

Conclusion

In sum, comparing Ernest Hemingway’s approach in “Hills Like White Elephants” with F. Scott Fitzgerald’s treatment of relationships reveals important contrasts: Hemingway concentrates on the intimate crisis, the gendered power dynamic, the silences and the unanswered question; Fitzgerald situates relationships within a broader canvas of class, wealth, societal decay and illusions of love. Hemingway’s relationships are fraught with unspoken conflict and minimalistic style; Fitzgerald’s are spectacle of desire and downfall.

For readers and scholars interested in how relationships are depicted in modern American literature, this comparison offers insight into two very different but complementary visions: one inward-looking and terse, the other outward-looking and decadent. Relationships, in these two masters’ hands, become both a battleground for individual agency and a mirror of society’s failures.

References

  • Avitzour, Daniel. “Why Does Jig Smile? Readings of ‘Hills Like White Elephants’.” Connotations Vol. 27 (2018). Connotations

  • Bender, T. “The Romantic Egoist: Fitzgerald’s View on Identity and Relationships.” Master’s thesis, Liberty University, 2015. Scholars Crossing

  • “Men, Women, and Relationships Theme in Hills Like White Elephants.” LitCharts. LitCharts

  • “Hills Like White Elephants Themes: Doubt and Ambiguity.” eNotes. eNotes

  • “Relationships in the Great Gatsby.” IPL.org. Indian Premier League

  • “The Great Gatsby Themes: Wealth, Class, Love, Idealism.” ThoughtCo. ThoughtCo

  • “Best Analysis of Love and Relationships in The Great Gatsby.” PrepScholar. Online SAT / ACT Prep Blog