Ernest Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants" tells a story through conversations between two main characters, the American man and the girl. Conflict is revealed by the dialogue as these characters face the obstacle of an unexpected pregnancy. Their plight is further complicated by their inability to convey their different opinions to each other. The title and some symbolic language also suggest the conflict the characters are facing. The story is set at a single site, a train station in Spain. The American is a single man in his prime and he makes most of his lifestyle by traveling and seeing new sights. One of the complications that might arise from starting a family is clear to him: traveling, sightseeing, and his current lifestyle would be things of the past. These are some of his motivating thoughts as he pleads his case for terminating the pregnancy. The man discloses that he doesn't want to have a child, but he reveals this in a mild manner. He chooses his words to his advantage and almost deceitfully, when trying to convince the girl that an abortion is an easy surgery by saying, "It's not really an operation at all." This remark reveals how desperate he is to make the decision for the girl. The man further complicates the discussion by contradicting himself. After each time he reassures the girl that he wants what she wants, he spends at least one breath identifying exactly what he wants. For example, he says "You've got to realize...that I don't want you to do it if you don't want to. I'm perfectly willing to go through with it if it means anything to you." His comment sounds as if his only wish is for her to do what she wants. But when she asks if it means anything to him, he immediately responds, "Of course it does. But I don't want anybody but you. I don't want anyone else. And I know it's perfectly simple." Clearly he is willing t...