In this story the reader eavesdrops on a conversation held by "the American and the girl with him". Most of the story is predominately dialogue between the two characters. ... At first, the reader may not know that the operation symbolizes the abortion but this is made clear as evidenced by the following quote by the man, ""It's really an awfully simple operation [. .. ]". ... The final use of symbolism is contained at the end of the story. ... Clearly, Hemingway left the ending of the story open for discussion for many years. ...

• Word Count: 1031
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School