The "Perfect" Life

“Perfect” Life The way people envision the “perfect” life has changed over time with new advances in technology to improve health for longer life and more acceptances on social issues such as homosexuality, race, and sex to name a few. Even with these changes, the basics of the “perfect” life people strive for has not changed. The big picture is still to find someone to share your life with, have a career you enjoy, and live in a place where people have a similar mentality. But how many people actually achieve this life? What is the pressure to have this life? The characters in each of these stories are trying to make changes in their lives for the “better”, but at what cost do they make these decisions? In Ernest Hemingway’s short story “Hills like White Elephants”, there is a girl and an American man traveling together. Hemingway mentions they have quite a few tags from their travels, so it can be inferred that they have been together for some time. To pass the time, they are drinking at a bar while waiting for their next train to Madrid. Throughout the whole story the girl seeks approval from the man. This shows that she is very submissive in the relationship. Also she mentions how much she loves him. When she says this to the man, you can feel how genuine she is and she really means what she is saying. While on the other hand, the man says the same, but you do not feel that he sincerely means the words he is saying. With her being this naïve, also shows why Hemingway writes girl instead of woman. Why would a girl be traveling the globe with this man she is clearly head over heels about while he does not feel the same? Is it love? Is she is blinded by their love and what the future holds for the lovebirds? Or is it the unsaid abortion that is keeping them together? The abortion is not clearly stated, but it is implied in the text as well as the title of the story. In the “perfect” future love is essential, but how much should one give up