age to the other side of the train to assure that it is loaded on board, and then he return to the table. "Do you feel better?" he asks. She replies, "I feel fine. There's nothing wrong with me. I feel fine". Throughout the story the couple refuses to speak of the problem. They refuse to speak of it for fear that actually saying it would be admitting that there actually is a problem. The couple is struggling over the decision of whether or not to abort their unborn child. The reference to white elephants symbolizes the abortion. Many years ago people would give miniature white elephants as gifts. They served no function and were considered unwanted, useless gifts. The abortion was an unwanted gift to this couple. The man continues to reassure the woman that the problem can easily be taken care of. One gets the feeling from the couple's conversation that she may want to keep their unborn child, but she would do anything for him; anything to keep him. I really enjoyed this short story. I liked how Ernest Hemingway allowed the reader to ponder what the couple was arguing about. I hope this gives some insight to those who struggle with understanding this short story. The writing produced by Ernest Hemingway was in itself an act of rebellion that personifies the unique character of how Americans want or believe they should be perceived -- brash, self-sufficient, able to move beyond what most people would presumably consider personal setbacks, even the ability to detach ones self from personal tragedy and see it in a humorous light. Ernest Hemingway was as simple as he was complex. The lucid and uncomplicated images he created with his seemingly elementary style were anything but; in fact, the complexity that resides within his characteristically eloquent prose, which demonstrate a purity and precision like no other, are known only to those who can see beyond their faade. Attention to outer detail and an unquenchable des...
