Ernest Hemingway is known for showing what happens in his stories, rather than outright telling his audience what is going on. This style of writing is interesting in that it tells an entire story, while giving little or no explicit information about what is going on in the hearts and minds of the characters. It is the responsibility of the readers to look at the clues and patterns which Hemingway gives in order to uncover the complete narrative. Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants" poses many, capably explicable intricacies, the least trivial of which is: What is to be done with the unborn child?

The words of the characters are important aspects which must be studied in order to draw an informed conclusion. As the story starts out, the American attempts to encourage his love to have an abortion. "'It`s really a simple operation, Jig,' the man...