The story is in the form of a dialogue between an American man, a girl and a bartender. From the dialogue, the girl is disgruntled and unhappy about the way the American is treating her. She feels stifled or restricted by his conduct although he sees nothing wrong with it. Her attitude comes from the man's disregard for her opinion and of her inclinations. Her point of view seems to be expressing that she is looking for more than she is getting.
The girl looked at the bead curtain. "They've painted something on it," she said. "What does it say?" "Anis del Toro. It's a drink."
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"Could we try it?"
The man called "Listen" through the curtain. The woman came out from the bar.
"Four reales."
"We want two Anis del Toro."
"With water?"
"Do you want it with water?"
"I don't know," the girl said. "Is it good with water?" "It's all right."
This dialogue shows how the man in this relationship is overbearing. From his point of view, the girl is being unrealistic with her demands. That is why he ignores her request and asks for something else in return. The girl is seen trying to assert her authority by changing his original order. Literally, she seems to have achieved some measure of success in her move. But figuratively, she remains as power less as she was in the beginning.
"Come on back in the shade," he said. "You mustn't feel that way." "I don't feel any way," the girl said. "I just know things."
"I don't want you to do anything that you don't want to do—"
"Nor that isn't good for me," she said. "I know. Could we have another beer?"
"All right. But you've got to realize—"
"I realize," the girl said. "Can't we maybe stop talking?"
They sat down at the table and the girl looked across at the hills on the dry side of the valley and the man looked at her and at the table. "You've got to realize," he said, "that I don't want you to do it if you don't want to. I'm perfectly willing to go through with it if it means any-thing to you."
"Doesn't it mean anything to you? We could get along."
"Of course it does. But I don't want anybody but you. I don't want any one else. And I know it's perfectly simple."
"Yes, you know it's perfectly simple."
The man's point of view from this quote shows that he controls the girl through gentle manipulation. He wants her to do something that she is against but he makes it look like she has a choice in the matter. So he silently pushes her into submission by speaking gentle words of encouragement. His literal words sound kind and it seems as though he is giving her option. But figuratively, he is stating what he wants her to do and forcing her to be OK with it. This is seen clearly as he insists that it is perfectly simple.
The characters struggles may be suggested but not clearly seen in the story. This is influenced by dialogue instead of narration. The dialogue shows that the female character gives up on her attempt to get her power back. She changes back into the submissive and helpless girl at the beginning of the story.
