In "Hills Like White Elephants" a couple discusses whether the girl should have an abortion. Although in the story, the couple never uses the word "abortion" the reader has to infer the meaning. The diction, syntax, and tone contribute to the theme of "Hills Like White Elephants."
             The short, terse diction contributes to the central theme of the story. The "simple operation" the couple discusses is abortion. "Simple operation" uses very short words. There is no further elaboration on the subject. The couple mentions the baby as "it" through "It's the only thing that's made us unhappy." Using the term "it" lessens the value of the baby and dehumanizes the baby. All of these contribute to the theme of the indifference of society. Referring to the baby as "it" shows that the man and woman do not care about the well being of the baby. They are indifferent to the idea of abortion because they do not care that the baby will die.
             The choppy, terse syntax of the story contributes to the theme. The couple argues back and forth with short sentences. "We can have everything," "No we can't," "We can have the whole world" and "No we can't" show how short and choppy sentences sound. The man wants to act very indifferently and terminate the pregnancy immediately. He does not care about the risks of the operation for the girl. To him, it is imperative to get rid of the baby.
             The detached tone the author gives influences the theme of the story. Hemingway is very objective when writing this story because he simply reports the facts. He shows no emotion in the story despite of the emotional subject. The detached tone contributes to the theme because it shows how the couple are not emotionally attached to the baby. The lack of emotion allows the true characters of the man and the w...