Ernest Hemingway wrote a stimulating short story about a couple facing a terrible problem. He sets his story, “Hills Like White Elephants,” during a hot day in a train station, which is actually a stopover between Barcelona and Madrid for the two main characters. They then have to decide where to go, whether or not they want to get together and/or continue their relationship. The difference between the white hills and the barren valley highlights the division between life and death, which depends on the choice Jig faces between having the baby and carrying out the abortion. She seems very caught between the two problems she has because she is very undecided about what she wants to do. When Hemingway wrote the story, he presented it as a conversation, although the couple talks about barley, which shows tension between them. . When American and Jig talk, it seems like they are trying to avoid each other and the topic of abortion. The American is really frustrated and will try to say anything to convince his girlfriend to have surgery. In the story, he tells Jig that he loves her and that everything between them will go back to the way it was before if she has an abortion. Finally she screams "please, please, please, please, please, please", stops talking and says she is going to have an abortion just to keep him quiet. When Jig is unable to speak Spanish with the bartender, it shows that she is dependent on the American but also has difficulty expressing herself to others. The American and Jig drink beers throughout the story to avoid the problems they are having with their relationship. . As soon as they arrive at their stopping point at the train station, they find themselves...... middle of paper...... and relationship problems with Jigs. Deciding whether or not to have an abortion is a big deal for a young woman like Jig, and it makes it harder for her when her pushy boyfriend continues to encourage her into a conversation she doesn't want to talk about. The couple has a lot of problems at such a young age and the fact that they are drinking while she is pregnant and arguing doesn't help the problem. Drinking to avoid doesn't solve anything, especially since the story remains unknown with no answers as to whether or not she undergoes the surgery. This leaves the reader wondering, “Did they have an abortion?” "Have they decided to keep the baby and work things out between them?" This short story definitely qualifies as a cliffhanger and leaves the reader thinking and wanting to know what will ultimately happen with the couple..