on him when it is not his choice alone to make. Jig asks him, in reference to his wanting to go through with the abortion, "And you really want to?" (322). The position he is placed in is as unfair as the position she is in herself, yet he is the only one who states his opinion, which is: "I think it' s the best thing to do [having the abortion]. But I don't want you to do it if you don't really want to" (322). He thinks they will be better off without a child, and that this operation is the best course of action, not that he necessarily wants to take this course, as the line before suggestively asks. It is not stated in the story why he feel this way, apart from the comments made to Jig about the pregnancy being "the only thing that bothers us. It's the only thing that's made us unhappy" (322). It could be that he doesn't feel they are ready to be parents yet. It could be he wants them to experience more of life and be free to do all the things they have always talked about doing, before settling down. It could be fear. He seems to be a young man in his prime, traveling Europe with his unwed beloved, and terrified of the prospect of all that a child will bring to their world. Being faced with parenthood is a daunting thing even for those who are wishing for it, let alone for those who are not at all prepared. He does care for the child, but is unsure of the idea of it at this point in their lives. She asks him, "Doesn't it mean anything to you?" (323), to which he responds, "Of course it does. But I don't want anyone else but you. I don't want anyone else" (323).He does not want to force her into something she doesn't want to do, but she won't say with conviction whether or not she wants this choice. "So have I," she says, in mention to his knowing lots of people that have done it. "And afterward they were all so happy" (322); "But I don't care about me. And I'll do it, and then everything will be fine?" (323) - these are the only two...
