English Comp 102 - Short Stories by Raymond Carver

English Comp 102

October 1, 2009

Bitter not Sweet

In today's society readers tend to interpret their own version of a story in which they tend to read from.

The two short stories by Raymond Carver is a good example of a silly, but lackluster argument that goes in two different directions, but end up on the same path in which in the end the user will decide just like the story.

The title of the first story in my opinion tells me that the short story called "mine" sounds like it has an overtone of possessiveness in which in my opinion the writer is expressing his anger over not being in control of a situation or event that is occurring in the story and while trying to gain control the writer is focusing his attention on any tangible object that he can get his hands on. The writer is also focusing his anger on an adult in the story that in my opinion they had a history be it marriage or live in girlfriend situation.

The story in my opinion is a very intense short story in which emotions are running high and being rational has just been thrown out of the window. Considering the individual in the story is being kicked out or is being asked to leave, but before he leaves. The focus of attention is directed at the issue of getting his personal belongings and getting himself out of the house. As I stated earlier this story is just a bunch of lackluster arguments between two adults over relationship issues that are common in America today.

In the other story which is titled "little things". The author continues with the same lackluster domestic argument between two adults, but this version is virtually the same except for it being a little more colorful in the descriptiveness in reference to time and place. The second story gave a slightly more descriptive version while slight in nature just barely skims the top of creating a new version or a continuous of this insanity. In the second story the author gives a lot of references to a season and time of day. However in this story the author starts out by making references of darkness being on the outside, but also changing on the inside as a preview on what's going to happen next, although this story starts out this way with a more descriptive tone. I feel that this story is geared toward the female perspective of this domestic confrontation as compared to the first story, which I feel is geared toward the male perspective. The author actually puts a slight tenderness in the story because in part of the story the author is talking about the situation with the baby. In line 30 the author says "I'm not hurting the baby" . This passage gave a more descriptive situation as compared to the first story in which there is no reference to what he might have been doing to the baby.

In contrast both