Comparison of Male and Female Relationships in Cat in The Rain and Hills Like White Elephants by Hemingway This relationship is closely examined in two short stories. The stories, Cat in The Rain and Hills Like White Elephants, both show a man and a woman in what appears to be a quiet, passive moment. However, in both stories, Hemingway carefully uses imagery and subtlety to convey to the reader that the relationship in the story is flawed and clearly dysfunctional. The two male characters in each story clearly struggle to understand their wives, and it is this inability to see them and what they want that Hemingway addresses and critiques. What in both works appears to be a quiet, passive moment is actually a pivotal point in each relationship, and neither man seems to realize it. For example, Cat In The Rain tells what appears to be a simple story of an American couple spending a rainy afternoon in their hotel room. This simple setup makes an excellent metaphor for what appears to be a couple's relationship. Outside, it's ugly and gray. And nothing happens inside. From the begging, we can see that there is a well-established rift in the relationship between George and his unnamed wife. The wife sees a cat standing in the rain and says to her husband (who doesn't communicate and sits on the sidelines reading the whole time) "I'm going down to get that cat" (129). Hemingway writes the husband's response as follows: "I will, her husband offered from the bed" (129). The fact that George seems so detached and makes no effort to get up clearly shows us that his "Offer to Him" ​​means nothing. He just goes through a mechanical motion of seeming to listen and care, without even caring... middle of paper ... a little light she needs. In conclusion, neither of these stories really gives hope to their respective relationships. It seems that both cases involve men who have long ignored and underestimated those close to them, and who hurt them without even seeing the hurt. Hemingway seems to be telling us this. The key to continuing to communicate is to not only listen, but to listen with intention. Both women in these stories are sad, hurt and alone. These are traits that Hemingway seems to have written about repeatedly, but they come out beautifully in these tales. seem small and insignificant at first glance, but truly offer insight into the emotions of its characters, as well as our own. Works Cited The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway. The Fianca Vigia edition. Scribner Pocket Fiction. Published by Simon and Schuster. New York, New York.