Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway Lesson Plan

What operation do you think the man and woman are discussing in “Hills Like White Elephants?” How does each character feel about it?

While there is general consensus that the man and woman are discussing an abortion, this is not immediately clear at first glance and students should consider what other possibilities, if any, exist. They should also discuss what clues there are to what might be wrong with the woman. They should consider whether the dynamics of the relationship between the man and the woman sheds any light on what operation she might be having and how this dynamic might be different depending on the medical situation at hand. It might be helpful, for this...