Hills Like White Elephants

"Hills Like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemingway is a story with no plot. The reader is dropped into the middle of a conversation that seems to have been going on for some time. The two main characters, Jig and the American are discussing abortion without ever mentioning the word itself. It is a conversation that must have taken place between a man and a woman countless times throughout history. The selfishness of the man, the quiet denial and the underlying pain of the woman are expressed through the use of the imagery surrounding the characters. The barrenness of the landscape represents the emptiness of their lives, their biggest concern trying a new alcoholic beverage. Other then the abortion, they have nothing else to talk about, except drinking. They can't even sustain a conversation about the landscape. This is the road they will continue on, should Jig follow through with the procedure. There is no resolution to this conflict, the readers are left to draw their own conclusions. Will the American convince Jig to have the procedure? Will they then continue on with their useless existence? Or will she choose life on the other side of the tracks? Will he follow her if she does?