When We Talk About Love By Raymond Carver Analysis
Addressing the subject of love is a complicated question to ask oneself. There are multiple definitions of the meaning of love depending on the individual. From the title of Raymond Carver’s short story, “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love,” the author gives readers an idea of what the story would remotely be about. Throughout this entire story, Carver reveals that love is ambiguous and an abstract concept to touch upon by creating a scene of four friends who casually drink and converse with one another as they share their own experiences on what they believe love is. Moreover, the author incorporates symbolism to emphasize the many interpretations of the subject, “love”. The past experiences that the four characters in the short story share unmasks the many versions of love. The story begins with Terri, wife of Mel, who strongly believes that love can be shown through action, regardless of how abusive or morbid it can get. She tells of her past and refers to her ex-husband, Ed, who claims that he “loved her so much he tried to kill her” (270). While third-perspective outsiders who hear of Terri’s story of how Ed would beat her up and drag her around by the ankles would automatically assume that Ed’s actions are
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It helps create a bigger idea and clarity that love has many different definitions. One individual may interpret love in a way that is in opposition to another individual based on the experiences that one faces. This short story is able to touch upon the few of the many kinds of love. It suggests to the readers to be open-minded and to accept that love is a universal language. While most people who first read this short story would challenge that it is clear that the characters are not able to clearly define what love is, readers should remain impartial that this story accomplishes the many interpretations and ambiguity of
It helps create a bigger idea and clarity that love has many different definitions. One individual may interpret love in a way that is in opposition to another individual based on the experiences that one faces. This short story is able to touch upon the few of the many kinds of love. It suggests to the readers to be open-minded and to accept that love is a universal language. While most people who first read this short story would challenge that it is clear that the characters are not able to clearly define what love is, readers should remain impartial that this story accomplishes the many interpretations and ambiguity of