Abstract The following paper is a response to Raymond Carver's book "Where Water Comes Together with Other Water", a collection of poems that Carver wrote earlier on in his life. The essay will mainly focus on Carver's ability to write from the heart and to be able to use his personal life as material and inspiration.
Abstract This paper looks at Carver's short story "Careful" and Carver's naturalistic or slice-of-life method. It also examines Carver's use of narrative irony and the title of the story as symbolic of the careless way the protagonist has led his life.
From the Paper "The method Carver uses in Careful to portray the ubiquity and desolation of contingency that dominates modern experience is to present a slice of a slice of life. That being so, one is tempted to designate the story as naturalistic but Carver's language ..."
Abstract This paper talks about how the discussion of Carver's literary fiction almost always resorts to a discussion of his minimalism and how his fiction personifies that device (Trussler par.2). Yet, this fixation on his minimalist approach often results in his mastery of other literary device, such as irony, being overlooked or at least only minimally addressed, to make a pun of the oversight itself. The paper discusses how as researchers are quick to point out, there are many types of irony and the employment of this literary device has taken many forms (Reiss). However, Carver, in line with his minimalist attributes employs irony in singular ways that are characterized not by their variety but rather by their consistency. Instead of ironic variety Carver limits the majority of his employment of irony to the realm of verbal, situational and dramatic in a constant interplay of the simplistic.
Abstract Raymond Carver is a writer known for a distinct writing style and for certain themes. The paper explains that one of the things that is seen in many of his short stories is the lack of hope in the lives of his characters. Carver's stories are not ones where the character is saved by some miraculous event. Instead, his stories just describe the lives of these people and their ongoing struggle. The paper discusses how this theme is closely related to Carver's own life and the life of his family. It shows that it is this lack of hope that Carver portrays in his stories, not offering a sign that these people will rise above their problems, but instead focusing on the continual struggle of their lives. The paper discusses three short stories that illustrate this common theme, namely "Why Don"t You Dance?,? ?What We Talk About When We Talk About Love,? and ?Gazebo.?
From the Paper "The story ends without anything significant happening. The story begins with the lines, "In the kitchen, he poured another drink and looked at the bedroom suite in the front yard" (Carver 3). This sad reflection continues and there is no point where the man finds hope again. Even more significant is the fact that he watches the young couple. This signifies that the whole process will repeat itself. Carver implies that this young couple who seem happy now will ultimately end up the same as the man and his failed marriage. his can be seen as a reflection of Carver's own life. Both himself and his parents had failed marriages, his father struggled with alcoholism he eventually died from, and rather than his mother be saved from poverty, she was thrown into greater poverty by the death of her husband (Garraty & Carnes). This shows where Carver's ideas on love and marriage were obtained from, this story clearly showing that Carver did not believe that a marriage would ever last, or that anyone would ever be miraculously saved from their problems."
Abstract This paper discusses Carver as a writer whose common themes are the basics of life and people's struggles. The author states that Carver's stories are largely autobiographical. The paper presents some of Carver's writings especially his short stories in his book, "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love".
From the Paper "Before considering how Carver's life impacted on his work, it is useful to give a brief biography of his life. Carver was born in Oregon to parents who both worked in low-paying jobs and struggled to support the family. Carver's alcoholic father died at age 53, leaving Carver's mother to support the family. Carver began working at unskilled jobs early in his life and married at age 20, already having two children to his wife Christine. Carver, like his father, began drinking early, developing the alcoholism that would continue for half of his life. Carver's drinking continued until 1977, accompanied by financial and marital problems. In 1977 he entered rehab for alcoholism. It was in this period after beating the alcoholism that Carver's short story collections were released. These included Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? (1977), What We Talk About When We Talk About Love (1981), Cathedral (1984), and Where I'm Calling From (1988). Carver died of lung cancer in 1988."
Abstract Raymond Carver has often been called a realistic author. However, "realism" is "really" quite a subjective concept. What seems real to a reader, as it is rendered through the literary, particularly the fictional form of prose will inevitably depend upon what the reader feels his or her own life "really" seems like. This paper suggests why Carver's short stories attempt to create a realistic sensibility or impression in the minds of his readers that other short story authors may lack. Carver's stories at least create the impression that they encapsulate modern, everyday life.
From the Paper "Unlike some of the classic short stories of modern literature, intricate plots and plot twists do not drive Carver's tales. Some of Carver's stories, such as "Fat" simply revolve around conversations or brief impressions of the main characters. They do not seem to have plots at all in a linear or sequential sense. The stories seem to imitate the flow of life experience that the reader is likely have, living his or her own daily life. Most readers do not perceive their life to have a beginning, a middle, and a neat climaxes near their life's end."
Abstract Raymond Carver began his career as a writer as a poet but is more well known for his prowess in the art of short stories, for which he is widely regarded as the preeminent storyteller of his time. This paper traces Carver's life from his birth in 1938 and shows how events in his life affected his writing style. The paper also shows how Carver's success as a short story writer overshadowed his original talent as a poet.
From the Paper "Raymond Carver's talent for the short story form was, in all likelihood, an outcome of his passion: "I love the swift leap of a good story"and the fact that the story can be written and read in one sitting.?(The Edge Online) But it wasn?t just his ability to write a good short story that earned Carver his lauded status as one of the greats of contemporary American literature. It was his deep compassion for and understanding of ordinary human lives that enabled him to turn everyday ordinary episodes into humane and meaningful tales."
Abstract In this paper the writing style of Raymond Carver is analyzed with reference to three of his stories. The essay examines both the structural and stylistic elements of Carver's work and seeks to find the exact essence of what makes Carvers stories and writing technique so distinct.
From the Paper "The short story is a literary form that lends itself to the theme of change, as characters within these stories coming to terms with the nature and consequence of change can offer not only a vast source of inspiration, but also the necessary closure and resolution that is often so difficult to find in the creation of short fiction. Towards the latter end of his writing career Raymond Carver became especially fond and equally masterful at weaving short tales about changes that occur in everyday life. This motif can be clearly seen in his stories "Fat", "A Small, Good Thing" and "Cathedral". Whilst the characters and situations described within these three stories vary greatly: from a husband, to a baker, to a waitress in a restaurant, there are usually basic devices and character types that Carver implements throughout the course of his writing."
A analysis of Raymond Carver's life experiences as portrayed in his stories stories "Will You Please Be Quiet, Please," "So Much Water, So Close to Home," "Cathedral," and "Errand".
Abstract This paper discusses how Raymond Carver's stories reflect his own life experiences and show a change in style over time. As such, the stories he wrote also changed in flavor as his life changed. The paper attempts to show that, whether it was his own struggle with alcoholism or his experiences working in a sawmill, many of the settings and situations in Carver's stories can be linked to his real life. The paper also looks at how a progression is apparent in the stories "Will You Please Be Quiet, Please," "So Much Water, So Close to Home," "Cathedral," and "Errand" and how each of these stories, written at different times in Carver's life, has a different style and feel, showing his progression as a writer.
From the Paper "In Carver's 1976 story "Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?" the author very effectively chooses detail and description to build up suspense and concern for the main character, Ralph. After finding out that his wife has cheated on him, Ralph has a night on the town where, among other things, he is mugged. Both his wife's cheating and his current uncomfortable situation do not need excessive detail to evoke empathy in the reader. Carver simply shows up, through the clear cause and effect, how events unfold for Ralph and his wife. Bethea believes that Ralph and Marian having sex at the end shows an epiphany in Ralph (133). "
Abstract This paper analyzes how revision affected the works of Raymond Carver: "The Bath" and "A Small Good Thing". The analysis includes an explanation of numerous techniques that Raymond Carver used.
From the Paper "Revision: the despised word to students who have worked endlessly on a project. However, some people treat revision like a holy ritual. Revision is the process that can take organized ideas and turn them into a work of art. One revision is almost never enough to create a masterpiece. The revisions Raymond Carver did to The Bath while creating A Small, Good Thing are proof that revision can take something simple, turn it around, and create a masterpiece. "
Abstract This paper shows the how an individual can generalize a person's reaction of mistrust towards a certain group of people. The author uses Raymond Carver's short story ?So Much Water so Close to Home,? to provide specific examples of how Claire, the main character, started to feel about men after being in a love-hate relationship with her husband.
From the Paper:
"Trust is a valuable commodity in today's society. People place a high value on trust because it can be lost so easily. Gaining someone's trust is not easy but quite difficult. The experiences people go through and the decisions people make determine if a level of trust has been earned. As time goes forward in a person's life, that person builds trusting relationships with others. These relationships may lead to marriage. Claire and Stuart are the main characters in Raymond Carver's short story, So Much Water So Close to Home, but also had a relationship before their marriage."
Tags:carver, close, home, much, raymond, so, water, claire, marriage, stuart, barry
Abstract This paper introduces, discusses, and analyzes the short story "Where I'm Calling From," by Raymond Carver. Specifically, it compares this work with "To Build a Fire," by Jack London. The author illustrates how as a recovering alcoholic, Carver had a unique outlook on life, and his characters show it with their ironies and quirks. Because of this, each character brings something special to the story and to the reader's attention.
From the Paper "Raymond Carver wrote from the time he was a young man until his death at 50 in 1988. He wrote of his own experiences as an alcoholic, young father, and blue-collar worker. His writing was always classified as postmodern, however, as with most authors, his writing changed from his early work to his later works. "The surfaces of Carver's stories look calm and banal, but especially his portrayals of marriage problems are full of emotional tension, hidden memories, wounds, longing, hate, anxiety, and melancholy" (Liukkonen). In "On Writing," Carver said of his own work, "But a unique and exact way of looking at things, and finding the right context for expressing that way of looking, that's something else" (Carver 13). He did not seem to think he had this talent, but the characters in his stories disprove it, especially the characters in "Where I'm Calling From.""
Tags: raymon, carver, jack, london, build, fire, alcoholic, story
Abstract This paper clearly presents the writings of the author and poet Raymond Carver as the master of literary "minimalism". This is done through examining Carver's poems and the short story collections "Short Cuts" and "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love". A comparison to the film adaptation of "Short Cuts" by director Robert Altman is also included.
Abstract This paper discusses the meaning of the Carver's story, "What we Talk About When We Talk About Love", and his writing style. The story illustrates the lives of two very different couples and shows that love can mean very different things to different people. Carver's writing style is brusque and to the point, which makes his writing easy to read, but sometimes less easy to understand.
From the Paper "Raymond Carver has been called a "minimalist" writer. One critic defines minimalism this way, "Barth describes minimalist writing as being 'terse, oblique, realistic or hyperrealistic, slightly plotted, extrospective, cool-surfaced fiction'" (Trussler). Carver's work is certainly "terse, oblique, and realistic," so it seems the "minimalist" expression fits his writing well. Carver's style seems to be "less is more," and so, his stories often have a simple central theme that holds them together, and the characters are quite realistic, just as in "What we Talk About When we Talk About Love." In this short story, the four characters are quite different from each other, and yet, the central theme of love binds them all together, yet keeps them somehow distanced from each other."
Abstract This paper argues that, while his work was often dark, Carver was, in his writing (as in his life), searching for the common happiness that arises from daily life. Because he himself spent so many years not being able to feel happy (indeed living an essentially miserable existence while he was addicted to alcohol), the writer believes that he wanted to prove both to himself and to his readers that it was possible to find light in the world. Using works from his earlier and later periods, as well as critical analyses of his writing, this paper argues that, while his later works were certainly not in any way simply 'Pollyanna-ish', they were imbued with a sense of hope and an inclination to look more forward than backward. Includes several quotes from Carver's work.
Introduction
A Sense of Beauty and Mystery
Mickey Spillane and Early Fatherhood
An Editor's Hand?
Peacocks in the Road
Beauty Binds Us To the World
From "The Bath" To "A Small Good Thing"
A Hundred Small Changes
There and Back Again
Discussion and Conclusion
From the Paper "Carver's fiction ? although this is certainly much less true of his poetry ?was often compared to that of Stephen Crane and Ernest Hemingway, hovering as it did in the borderlands between minimalism and realism. Carver himself disliked the term "minimalist" because it "smacks of smallness of vision and execution" (http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/rcarver.htm) but there is a certain truth in calling his work minimalist rather than realist. Crane and Hemingway were writing in a different world and about a different world than was Carver; they belonged within the tradition of High Modernism. And they belonged to a moment in history in which the center was wobbling but might well still be expected to hold."
