This story by Ernest Hemingway is aptly set at a railway junction. A couple waiting for a train have an important decision to make that will determine the direction of their lives. Unfortunately, they have reached a point in their relationship where they find it hard to open up and talk about their feelings. Although the man says he will leave it up to the woman, he puts subtle pressure on her to choose his way. Themes: perspective (male vs. female views on pregnancy and abortion), choices and consequences (freedom vs. family), language and communication (disconnection), dependence and control.

This story by Ernest Hemingway takes place in a cafe. Two waiters (one young, the other middle-aged) talk about an old man sitting alone at one of the tables. A line from each waiter exemplifies three major themes. From the young waiter: I wouldn’t want to be that old. An old man is a nasty thing. (attitudes towards the aged). From the older waiter: It [life] was all a nothing and a man was a nothing too. (emptiness and despair). Other themes include aging and death, gender stereotyping, and the fact that money doesn’t buy happiness.