![]() ![]() Isolation is a dominant theme that runs through many of these stories, such as a story about an estranged dad visiting his son in “Compartment.” The climax to this little story occurs when the man realizes he is in the wrong compartment on the wrong train, possibly heading in the wrong direction in life. The final sentences as to the outcome of the married couple arrive in the form of an afterthought but actually carries such tremendous emotional weight. During the evening, the couple encounters an ugly baby and an annoying peacock, two aspects that lead to significant changes in the couple’s marriage. For example, the opening story “Feathers” is about a married couple invited to have dinner at the husband’s friend’s house. ![]() ![]() Carver’s magic lies in the fact that you don’t realize you’re invested emotionally until you finish a particular tale. While none of the stories have a complete story arc per se, they do feel like slightly larger windows into the lives of these characters. However, the works are considerably longer, which allow for more ambitious storytelling. Cathedral (1983) by Raymond Carver, Photo Credit: Natalie GetterĬathedral contains twelve stories, far less than the aforementioned When We Talk About Love. ![]()
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