Hills Like White Elephants: The Importance of Understanding

 This was my first time reading this short story and I did not fully grasp what it was about after my first reading. I was very confused during my first reading as the conversation between the couple was very vague. After rereading the story and understanding what was going on the story became a lot more interesting to me. Once I understood what the story was about, I had a deeper appreciation towards the subtle way in which it was told. I think understanding is the most important thing when it comes to stories like this because without understanding what it is about it is harder to appreciate the way in which it is written. It is very interesting reading a story like this where a man is trying to convince a woman to get an abortion, especially with the time period we are in. It is such a controversial topic in today's society and politics, and to see Hemingway write about it in such a subtle way is very eccentric. Now that I understand what it is about, I want to applaud Hemingway for his subtle writing. The dialogue is very important to the story and without reading between the lines you can't really figure out what's going on. It takes a closer reading and a general understanding of the topic they're discussing to be able to decipher/decode the underlying argument that is happening in this dialogue. This is the first work of Hemingway that has honestly stood out to me, and I really enjoyed reading it and discovering the hidden meaning within.