Ernest Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants"

a.      Ernest Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants", although written from the third-person omniscient point-of-view, does not take us inside the minds of the male and female protagonists. There are brief descriptions of the setting, and actions that the characters take, but the majority of content is dialogue. It is from the latter that Hemingway gives us glimpses inside "the American" and "the girl", but only minimally so. What begins as innocuous banter gradually grows more serious, and the reader senses a tension between the couple. The hints as to the cause are very subtle.

         I don't believe that a limited first person point-of-view would have helped the story in any way. This would have required a third character sitting there with the couple, and their dilemma is very private. It's hard to imagine their discussing the "operation", except maybe if our female protagonist had a close female friend there with her, and I think then they would have discussed the unwanted pregnancy while the man was away. Anything "gained", such as a narrator's insights into the couple, would be superfluous to Hemingway's intent.

b.     The limited direct observer is the best point-of-view because it mirrors the situation that the couple face. This is such a delicate subject, the debate over whether or not to have an abortion- that a majority of the feelings about it would stay internal, and unspoken. Even there in their privacy, they are skating around the issue, never saying the word. By knowing only a minimal amount about the couple, Hemingway makes this more of a universal commentary on love and the hard decisions that it often brings into our lives.

Raymond Carver's "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love"

c.      Although most of the focus is on Mel in "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love", the story is Nick's- we are experiencing this intimate evening between two couples through his senses directly, and only vicariously through the others' conversations. Nick is the ideal narrator because he is the quietest person in attendance, and therefore does the best job of observing and listening to all that goes on. So, while Mel and Terri were the focus of this "slice of life" tale, neither would have been good narrators, and especially not Mel. Because he was the host and center of attention, it is better that we see him through a more laid-back friend's eyes. Raymond Carver did a masterful job, in my opinion, in making this so realistic. When people sit around a table drinking, they will interrupt each other, lose their train of thought, and gradually become less inhibited in their talk. And usually, somebody's darker side (such as Mel's) will emerge. All of this was conveyed brilliantly.