The thing that makes, Hills Like White Elephants, by Ernest Hemingway such a powerful story is the subtlety with which it is told. Hemingway is commenting on subject matter which for the time would have been considered taboo, but does so without actually spelling it out for the reader. As the characters sit together drinking beer and talking, it becomes immediately apparent that there is something weighty between them and as the conversation continues, the reader can feel pressure building between the two of them. At this point, the source of the tension could be anything and the reader follows along expecting not only some kind of outburst between the man and the American girl, but also to find out what has caused the rift.

At first glance the couple seems like any other, patiently waiting for their train. It is only when the American girl makes the...