You have touched on one of the excellent elements of this
short story. It is clear that Hemmingway, in choosing to tell the story, remains very
distant from the dialogue and action. This story has a large amount of dialogue with
very little input from the omniscient narrator - it is as if he is choosing to
deliberately distance himself, not commenting or judging. It is clearly left up to the
reader to make any judgements as we eavesdrop in on this conversation and piece together
what is happening.
However, having said this, I think the
reader feels more sympathy for the girl than for the man. Note the insistence with which
he keeps on making her consider the abortion, and in the end, note how she
responds:
"Would you please please please please please
please please please stop
talking?"
It is clear that
she feels pushed into a corner and has to decide between keeping the relationship or
keeping her child. Reading between the lines reveals the pressure that the man is
placing her under and the impossible position the girl is in.
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