Raymond CarverVisual Essay

Stephanie Hom

THESIS

In many of his short stories, Raymond Carver In many of his short stories, Raymond Carver addresses the difficulties of communication addresses the difficulties of communication

and how, oftentimes, people find themselves and how, oftentimes, people find themselves unable to express their feelings through the unable to express their feelings through the

mere use of words. He suggests that it is mere use of words. He suggests that it is because of this inability to effectively because of this inability to effectively

communicate that people are unable to make communicate that people are unable to make lasting connections.lasting connections.

Topic Sentence

The characters in “What We Talk About When We The characters in “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love” essentially lack the ability to Talk About Love” essentially lack the ability to

articulate their emotions. They believe that articulate their emotions. They believe that they know what love is, based on experience; they know what love is, based on experience;

however, they are unable to describe the however, they are unable to describe the essence of love with actual words. They suffer essence of love with actual words. They suffer from the inability to communicate effectively from the inability to communicate effectively

and, therefore, are unable to form lasting and, therefore, are unable to form lasting relationships.relationships.

Quote

““Dominant ‘obsessions’ ... in “Dominant ‘obsessions’ ... in “What We Talk What We Talk About [When We About [When We Talk About Love] are the feelings of dislocation and lost Talk About Love] are the feelings of dislocation and lost

identity that his characters experience as well as an identity that his characters experience as well as an awareness of random, uncontrollable changes in their lives. awareness of random, uncontrollable changes in their lives. He expressed these concerns by depicting his characters as He expressed these concerns by depicting his characters as

isolated from others and mirrored this alienated sense of isolated from others and mirrored this alienated sense of being through minimal language, evoking his characters' being through minimal language, evoking his characters' inability to communicate their circumstances” (Stull, 3).inability to communicate their circumstances” (Stull, 3).

Quote

“‘“‘I’ll tell you what real I’ll tell you what real love islove is,’ Mel said… ‘All this, all ,’ Mel said… ‘All this, all of this love we’re talking about, of this love we’re talking about,

it would just be a memory. it would just be a memory. Maybe not even a memory. Am I Maybe not even a memory. Am I

wrong? Am I way off base? wrong? Am I way off base? Because I want you to set me Because I want you to set me

straight if you think I’m wrong. I straight if you think I’m wrong. I want to know. I mean, want to know. I mean, I don’t I don’t know anything, and I’m know anything, and I’m the first one to admit itthe first one to admit it’” ’”

(177).(177).

Topic Sentence

Because of his inadequate communicating skills, Because of his inadequate communicating skills, the narrator of “Cathedral” struggles the narrator of “Cathedral” struggles

immensely when it comes to expressing his immensely when it comes to expressing his feelings. He fails to communicate effectively feelings. He fails to communicate effectively and therefore finds himself unable to form and therefore finds himself unable to form

lasting and fulfilling relationships. lasting and fulfilling relationships.

Quote

““[The narrator] is numb and isolated, [The narrator] is numb and isolated, a modern man for whom a modern man for whom

integration with the human race integration with the human race would be so difficult that it is would be so difficult that it is

futile. Consequently he hides by futile. Consequently he hides by failing to try, anesthetizes himself failing to try, anesthetizes himself with booze, and explains away the with booze, and explains away the

world with sarcasm. He does world with sarcasm. He does nothing to better his lot” nothing to better his lot”

(Facknitz, 5). (Facknitz, 5).

Quote

““The blind man [Robert] proposes a solution… the The blind man [Robert] proposes a solution… the narrator draws a cathedral while Robert's hand narrator draws a cathedral while Robert's hand

rides his…When Robert takes his hand and rides his…When Robert takes his hand and makes him close his eyes to touch the cathedral, makes him close his eyes to touch the cathedral,

he "sees." Even when he is told that he can he "sees." Even when he is told that he can open his eyes, he chooses not to, for he is open his eyes, he chooses not to, for he is

learning what he has long been incapable of learning what he has long been incapable of perceiving and even now can not articulate” perceiving and even now can not articulate”

(Facknitz, 5).(Facknitz, 5).

Only at the end, when he allows himself to

Only at the end, when he allows himself to identify with the blind man, does the

identify with the blind man, does the narrator feel any sense of personal

narrator feel any sense of personal connection. Ironically, there is no literal

connection. Ironically, there is no literal conversation, suggesting that words are

conversation, suggesting that words are oftentimes insufficient in regards to

oftentimes insufficient in regards to communication. communication.

Quote““Carver redeems the narrator by Carver redeems the narrator by

releasing him from the releasing him from the figurative blindness that figurative blindness that

results in a lack of insight into results in a lack of insight into his own condition and which his own condition and which leads him to leads him to trivialize human trivialize human

feelings and needsfeelings and needs. Indeed, so . Indeed, so complete is his misperception complete is his misperception that the blind man gives him a that the blind man gives him a faculty of sight that he is not faculty of sight that he is not

even aware that he lacks” even aware that he lacks” (Facknitz, 4)(Facknitz, 4)

Topic Sentence

While many of his characters prove unable to While many of his characters prove unable to form satisfying personal connections, Carver form satisfying personal connections, Carver creates foil characters to help demonstrate creates foil characters to help demonstrate

that even simple, yet sincere, relations skills that even simple, yet sincere, relations skills can establish fulfilling relationships. can establish fulfilling relationships.

Quote

““She told the blind man she'd She told the blind man she'd written a poem and he was in it… written a poem and he was in it… The blind man made a tape. He The blind man made a tape. He sent her the tape. She made a sent her the tape. She made a tape. This went on for years... tape. This went on for years...

She sent tapes from Moody AFB, She sent tapes from Moody AFB, McGuire, McConnell, and finally McGuire, McConnell, and finally Travis, near Sacramento, where Travis, near Sacramento, where

one night she got to feeling one night she got to feeling lonely and cut off from people lonely and cut off from people she kept losing in that moving-she kept losing in that moving-

around life” (358).around life” (358).

The narrator’s wife and the

The narrator’s wife and the

blind man demonstrate

blind man demonstrate

Carver’s theme because

Carver’s theme because

of their open, honest

of their open, honest

relationship. They prove

relationship. They prove

that simple yet efficient

that simple yet efficient

communication is the

communication is the

foundation of true,

foundation of true,

personal connections.

personal connections.

Quote““She'd worked with this blind man all summer… They'd become good friends my She'd worked with this blind man all summer… They'd become good friends my

wife and the blind man. How do I know these things? She told me. And she told wife and the blind man. How do I know these things? She told me. And she told me something else. On her last day in the office, the blind man asked if he me something else. On her last day in the office, the blind man asked if he

could touch her face. She agreed to this. She told me he ran his fingers over could touch her face. She agreed to this. She told me he ran his fingers over every part of her face, her nose--even her neck! She never forgot it. She even every part of her face, her nose--even her neck! She never forgot it. She even

tried to write a poem about it. She was always writing a poem. She wrote a tried to write a poem about it. She was always writing a poem. She wrote a poem or two every year, usually after something really important happened to poem or two every year, usually after something really important happened to

her” (357).her” (357).The narrator is clearly jealous of the relationship between the blind man and his The narrator is clearly jealous of the relationship between the blind man and his wife. Carver uses this relationship to demonstrate how sincerity, despite all wife. Carver uses this relationship to demonstrate how sincerity, despite all

the difficulties of communication, can serve as the outlet necessary to the difficulties of communication, can serve as the outlet necessary to express one’s emotions. This relationship severely contrasts that of the express one’s emotions. This relationship severely contrasts that of the

narrator and his wife because of the absence of communication in the latter. narrator and his wife because of the absence of communication in the latter. This proves Carver’s theme that effective communication can form lasting This proves Carver’s theme that effective communication can form lasting

bonds and that the lack of it yields insincere and strained relationships.bonds and that the lack of it yields insincere and strained relationships.

Bibliography

Carver, Raymond. Carver, Raymond. Where I'm Calling From New and Selected Where I'm Calling From New and Selected StoriesStories. New York: Vintage Books, 1989.. New York: Vintage Books, 1989.

Mark A. R. Facknitz, "'The Calm,' 'A Small Good Thing,' and Mark A. R. Facknitz, "'The Calm,' 'A Small Good Thing,' and 'Cathedral': Raymond Carver and the Rediscovery of 'Cathedral': Raymond Carver and the Rediscovery of Human Worth," in Studies in Short Fiction, Vol. 23, No. 3, Human Worth," in Studies in Short Fiction, Vol. 23, No. 3, Summer, 1986, pp. 287-96Summer, 1986, pp. 287-96

Stull, William L. “Raymond Carver: A Bibliographical Stull, William L. “Raymond Carver: A Bibliographical Checklist.” Checklist.” American Book Collector American Book Collector 8, No.1 (January 8, No.1 (January 1987): 17-30.1987): 17-30.

*ALL PICTURES WERE TAKEN FROM GOOGLE IMAGES**ALL PICTURES WERE TAKEN FROM GOOGLE IMAGES*