Hills like white Elephants Annotation

     According to the Oxford English Dictionary, curtain is defined as to cover, conceal, veil, protect, shut off, as with a curtain. Throughout this short story, the word curtains consistently popped up in the story. It may have been very subtle but I think it really symbolize a great meaning within the story. A Curtains purpose is to be hung up somewhere for decor or dividing spaces. I want to focus on not so much the decoration aspect but more of the division. A curtain could divide a wall/window from the rest of the room. It could be dividing a room from a room, could be placed at the door way separating a room from a completely different environment. A curtain can close off two different groups of people or two individuals from one another.
     Now in the story, the couple is obviously arguing about something dramatic that is happening in their relationship. A decision that has to be made, is being tossed around whether they are going to go through with their decision or not. They seem both to have two different opinions on the situation. The woman seems to completely shut her self away from the gentlemen. She obviously is thinking the opposite of him. Its seems as though they are not understanding one another, their communication is not as open and flowing as maybe it usually would be. I think that the author kept bringing up the word curtain to subtly make a hint to how this couple is at this point. They are cut off from each other. It is almost as if the "curtain" is hung up between them. She sees the situation in a different light then he does. Their opinions and view points is like the curtain and they can not see eye to eye.