As the girl casually talks about the white elephants saying, “they look like white elephants"; the man replies, "I've never seen one". The girl then agrees with the man, as she responds, "No, you wouldn't have". He then rebuts by responding, “I might have…Just because you say I wouldn't have doesn't prove anything." When the woman simply implies that the man has never truly experienced the difference between what is beautiful and what is not, the man bares his fangs with a defensive quality. The conversation continues on, and the girl curiously asks, “But if I do it, then it will be nice again if I say things are like white elephants, and you'll like it?” At this point in the narrative of the short story, the girl has already formally withdrawn her previous comment about the nearby hills imitating that of white elephants. She withdraws her comment when she states, “They don't really look like white elephants. I just meant the coloring of their skin through the trees”. In doing so, she has hinted to the American that her desire is to keep the baby, and not go on with an abortion.
Although the girl is quite content with her subtle decision, the man is unquestionably distraught with her choice and continues to push for an abortion because he simply does not want a child. While the American holds strong to his belief in disregard to the girl’s own free-will, the girl shows signs of fragility, unable to confidently stamp her foot and end on the note that she should have a say in the matter also. After briefly asserting her own opinion, the girl