Hills Like White Elephant

Though I have read this story before, every time something new catches my interest. The first time I read it, I was shocked to find out that the "simple operation" was actually an abortion. This was something that I did not expect. However, the more times you read the piece, the more obvious it becomes. Now when I read it, I am not shocked by the fact that they are discussing an abortion, I am more shocked at the different way I understand certain sentences every time I read it.
So much depends on the way you read the way the characters' dialogue. If you read it one way, sarcastically, the idea is completely different than if you read it with the girl being completely innocent. This time when reading the story, I also picked up on small sentences that use the symbolism in the beginning. The last paragraph, when he puts his baggage on the other track could mean a new decision, but  there is also the idea that the train is not there, which means a decision was not made. When discussing in my group for the lead respondent assignment, all three of us picked up on different sentences throughout the whole that brought new meaning to the piece for us.
This is very much an example of Hemingway's IceBerg Technique. Because of very little narration, the story is mostly about what is being said. This leaves the interpretation up to the reader. You must figure out what you think Hemingway meant when he was writing "Hills Like White Elephants." This has always been one of my favorite stories by him. It was what first sparked my interest in his writing. before reading this in high school, I had only heard of him. After that I really enjoyed his writing. It is his way of saving the best information for himself. In this story we have absolutely no idea what the readers are actually thinking. We can only guess by context clues and the tone we personally read it in.
I am really glad I picked this story for my lead respondent assignment because I cannot wait to hear what each in the class has to say about the different topics we discussed. I know we each had our own ideas when planning the different assignments, but I think the class can bring new insights. I also look forward to hearing from the people that have not read this story before and that maybe don't understand what it is talking about the whole way through.