“then i’ll do it. because i don’t care about me.”

“what do you mean? ”

“i don’t care about me.”

“well, i care about you.”

“oh, yes. but i don’t care about me. and i’ll do it and then everything will be fine.”

the main purpose of this passage is to suggest that jig is
passive-aggressive

submissive
independent

In Hills Like White Elephants, the couple is arguing about whether Jig (the lady) should get the perfectly simple operation. This story does not convey her as a submissive person due to the fact that the argument exists. The go back and forth talking about it and she is still very unsure. A submissive person would have just taken the instruction and done it. She is neither portrayed as independent because, in the argument, she is looking for his support and approval of the awfully simple operation. Our best answer, and what's shown throughout the short story, is her passive-aggressiveness as she tries to evade and manipulate him through emotional appeals.