What is a good question to ask when preparing to write a paper about the short story "Hills Like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemingway?

In Ernest Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants," most of the narrative bubbles below the surface of the actual writing, and it takes a thoughtful and insightful question to bring this bounty of meaning to the surface.

Though I can't write your paper for you, I can give you some direction. If I were writing the paper about this short story, I would ask the following question: "What is the essence of the relationship between the man and the woman in the story?" This question is vital to a proper analysis of the narrative, as much of the tension relies upon the relationship between the man and the woman (named "Jig"). While the man wants the woman to get an abortion, the woman seems reluctant to go through with the operation, and a fundamental tension in the relationship is revealed: the man seems to want nothing to do with the responsibility involved in having a family, while the woman appears to to see some benefit in settling down and sobering up. This contrast is central to the story and so, as you prepare to write your paper, it's important that you ask questions about the nature of the man and the woman's relationship.