Many times in life things are not as they seem. What may seem simple on the surface can be more complicated deep down. Countless short story authors embark on a journey to intricately create the final revelation, as well as the subtle clues intended for readers as they attempt to understand the complete "truth" of the story. The various authors of these stories often use different literary techniques to help uncover the revelation that the main characters undergo. Through the process of carefully developing their unique characters and through point of view, both Edith Wharton and Ernest Hemingway ultimately convey the significant revelation in the short stories “Roman Fever” and “Hills Like White Elephants,” respectively. The use of these two literary techniques is essential because they provide readers with the clues needed to make the final revelations. “Roman Fever” and “Hills Like White Elephants” are two stories that on the surface seem very different from each other, but through careful analysis the two are quite similar. Their similarities are especially evident through the significant use of dialogue in both stories. “Roman Fever” has a third-person omniscient narrator who the author allows to know the innermost private thoughts of both characters, Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley. In contrast, “Hills Like White Elephants” is composed of a limited third-person narrative in which very little is known about the thoughts of both Jig and the American. Initially Ernest Hemingway's tale can clearly be seen as the more ambiguous of the two. With her simplistic style, written mostly in direct dialogue that leaves readers contemplating the final outcome of the story and forces them to... middle of paper... even though she is stuck at a crossroads between Madrid and Barcelona , abortion or baby, Barcelona and the lush hills behind the Ebro River show her what she can have, what she originally wanted all along: to settle down and enjoy life with her baby and her love. “Roman Fever” and “Hills Like White Elephants” are two different stories, both very ambiguous in their own way. Each has a revelation at the end that ultimately paints the bigger picture. Even though Wharton and Hemingway used two very different writing styles, one full of small subtle details that all fit together like a big puzzle and the other full of simplicity and directness, they both created dynamic and mysterious characters that, mixed with the i subtle hints and suggestions from their narrators ultimately helped readers actually see and understand the revelations of each story.