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

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In the short story, “Everything Stuck to Him”, Raymond Carver carefully constructs a story that portrays a meaningful message. The reader can interpret the frame story as hopeful and optimistic, or melancholy and pessimistic. Carver’s use of language creates a simplistic tone, while still providing enough detail to get the main character’s story across. In order to show the emptiness of his main characters, Carver does not name them, however he does add the minor character’s names. His method of characterization highlights a loss of identity among the young couple. Another aspect of the carefully written frame story is the setting in November; it represents a time of change, and mirrors the couple’s own change. Raymond Carver uses a minimalistic type of …show more content…

Fall is leaving and winter is strolling in. Carver uses this to symbolize the change between the young couple. They are young and in love, but they have no chance to grow as individuals. As they grow together Carver shows how the girl and the boy begin differ in opinions. The boy wants to hunt and the girl is focused on minor issues, such as when the baby was crying. As the season changed the couple changed with it. Carver also sets the scene of the narrator in the winter. He tells his daughter a sad story; a story that is dreary and dull like the winter time. The winter in the frame story relates to the setting of the present as the settings both symbolize change and sadness. Raymond Carver uses a minimalistic style of writing, a cold and bitter setting, and characterization to develop his short story “Everything Stuck to Him”. He creates a strong and powerful story and frame story by using very little detail, such as nameless characters. His characterization of the two individuals shows their lack of identity. The setting sets a dreary tone throughout the frame story and draws a connection between the past and the present for the man and his

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