preview

What Is The Meaning Of Everything Stuck To Him By Raymond Carver

Decent Essays

In Raymond Carver’s story “Everything Stuck to Him”, Carver tells a story within a story. From the beginning of the short story the readers are not introduced to any characters. The daughter asks her father to tell her a story, and he tells her a story about a time when she was baby, and the mother and father are known as boy and girl. In this case the boy loved hunting and his family but he also wanted to be free from his responsibilities, however the girl had different initiatives, and wants the boy to put his family first. In Raymond Carver’s frame story, his use of setting, minimalist style sentences and his use of symbols all enhance the meaning and development of his story. The story takes place in Milan, Italy, in late November a time where fall is transitioning into …show more content…

For example the title of the story is symbolic because a young boy who has yet found his own identity, is already married and has a child. The young boy bares the responsibilities of work and taking care his wife and child. When he is asked to go hunting with his friend Carl, he’s all excited and can’t wait for the next morning. “You’re going to have to choose, the girl said. Carl or us. I mean it,” (Carver 2). His choice to go hunting can suggest that he is still attempting to live the life he had before marriage and his daughter. It also can symbolize his lack of commitment because he would rather go hunting with his friend. Going hunting with Carl seems to be on the top of his agenda rather than taking care of the baby with his wife. Another example of symbolism in Carver’s story is when he spills the sticky breakfast onto his lap and everything is stuck to him. This symbolizes how the boy is stuck in his marriage and in his escape to have fun he was stuck with being with his family. The young boy feels that he is held liable for more responsibility than he is capable of and it's all stuck to

Get Access