Hills Like White Elephants

Hills Like White Elephants, like many other Hemingway stories, is chock full of symbolism. The train seemed to symbolize the ever approaching decision of whether the woman should have an abortion and whether the American man was mentally prepared for the woman's decision. The man is constantly asking the woman to consider having another drink, which seems like the man is not mentally prepared to have this abortion. finally at the end of the story the man looks at the other men, waiting patiently with their "bag"s (aka their own "crosses" or problems) and tells the woman that he is ready for her decision.