Hemingway is hard because people demand explicit. The story behind the obvious is what makes The Sun Also Rises so powerful. It defined the lost generation. It was the 1920s version of Clerks.
I’m sure people read Hills Like White Elephants expecting to find an elephant in the story. Of course there is — a big one right there in the room.
You should be a teacher :) I love that quote, and it's exactly what I'm talking about. Without the context of what the lost generation is/was, and without understanding how the generational trauma of WWI had such a strong influence on the interwar period, you lose a ton of understanding about how the book was so influential.
I’m sure people read Hills Like White Elephants expecting to find an elephant in the story. Of course there is — a big one right there in the room.