Being faced with difficult decisions is a major obstacle in the lives of adults. After conversing, many of these decisions are resolved in a favorable outcome that works for both adults. In “Hills like White Elephants,” the two adults, an American man and the girl, discuss a major issue in their lives. This controversy pertains to a potential operation the woman may choose to undergo. The train station and the barroom emphasizes what is being discussed between the two adults. Train stations are places where people are constantly interchanging and are never present for long periods of time. The barroom table behind the bead curtain underline that there are boundaries which prohibit the couple from making their decision. Therefore, the setting, both the train station and the barroom, impersonal places in which to talk about personal issues, reflects the lack of genuine intimacy among the man and the girl.
Train stations are places known to be junctions in which people quickly appear and disappear in route to their intended destinations. In “Hills like White Elephants,” the couple have to catch a train to reach to the next stop in their journey. Before catching the train, they have a decision to make about an operation which impacts their lives. In urging the girl to make her final decision, the man …show more content…
The train station signifies how there are many options and tracks one can take, but only one is best for that specific person, like the girl in this short story. Barrooms are common places where there are alcoholic drinks and relaxed human beings who are willing to talk. Specifically, the bead curtains in the barroom provide separation and boundaries between the couples and the public, but also between the girl and the man. Altogether, the settings have a significant impact on the strenuous decision of the couple and their