ipl-logo

Summary Of Raymond Carver's Story 'What We Talked About Love'

1471 Words6 Pages

Mel McGinnis was one of the main character of Raymond Carver 's story entitled, What We Talk About When We Talked About Love. Mel is a cardiologist in this story, a cardiologist is a doctor known to specialized in cases of heart problems or ailments. The story is about two couples in which they have different definition of what love is. It is a cliché that Mel, as a cardiologist who supposed to be an expert regarding heart doesn 't know or understand what love is. In my psychological point of view, Mel is consistent on having a diagnosis of bipolar manic disorder. Bipolar manic disorder is a serious mood disorder in which episodes of both depression and mania (excessive euphoria) occur. Depression and being manic is in the opposite poles, depression …show more content…

Mel has some highs and lows in the story which can be related to this disorder. Mel has bipolar manic disorder because he is experiencing irritability, depression, and aggression which is consistent for a person who has bipolar manic disorder especially if high and low moods are alternating. As a doctor, they have different cases and different patients each day that has different chief complaints and different diagnosis. Since Mel is cardiologist, he mostly deals with patients that has heart problems. In Carver 's story, What We Talk About When We Talked About Love, he gave a scenario in which the two couples were drinking gin and talking on what is the definition of love. Mel was telling a story on how he used to think that her first wife was her life, but now he hated her guts. As for Terri, Mel 's second wife, she was telling a story about her previous husband who is abusive and hurts her, but she still thinks that he was able to do those things because of his love for her. As they reminisce about their previous romances and relationships, Mel interrupted the conversation when he said that if something happens to him or her wife, they will just grief for a while and then the surviving person will find someone else to

Show More
Related

  • Fahrenheit 451 Comparison Essay

    714 Words  | 3 Pages

    Later in the novel, Mildred has friends over, Mrs. Phelps and Mrs.Bowles. After Montag scares them off by reading a book, forbidden in their society, he sends Mrs.Bowles off with one last thought. “Go home and think of your first husband divorced and your second husband killed in a jet and your third husband blowing his brains out” (98). Montag says this, pointing out the cold hard truth that in their society marriages mean nothing, and if one husband leaves, they will simply be replaced by another. This is drastically different from our U.S. society due to the fact that our marriages are often intended to be meaningful and once (or twice) in a lifetime match, with a person you cherish and hold most

    Read More

  • Mood Disorders In The Film Helen

    1581 Words  | 7 Pages

    Definition of Mood Disorder Mood disorders as diverse in nature. Mood disturbances are intense and happen long enough to be clearly dysfunctional and many times lead to serious problems

    Read More

  • Summary Of Isabel Fish By Julie Orringer

    2167 Words  | 9 Pages

    The author is trying to explain how the accident not only strongly affected Maddy's life, but hurt everyone around her, especially Sage. Death can change a person and it deeply affected both siblings. They were hurt in a way no one can imagine and are finding a way to

    Read More

  • Bipolar Disorder In The Glass Castle

    1134 Words  | 5 Pages

    It is a manic-depressive illness and bipolar disorder can be defined by four different types. Although this disorder can affect anyone, it is most common in

    Read More

  • Explain Two Alternative Frameworks For Understanding Mental Distress

    1654 Words  | 7 Pages

    • Anxiety disorders: People with anxiety disorders respond to certain objects or situations with fear and dread, as well as with physical signs of anxiety or panic, such as a rapid heartbeat and sweating. An anxiety disorder is diagnosed if the person's response is not appropriate for the situation, if the person cannot control the response, or if the anxiety interferes with normal functioning. Anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and specific phobias. • Mood disorders: These disorders, also called affective disorders, involve persistent feelings of sadness or periods of feeling overly happy, or fluctuations from extreme happiness to extreme sadness. The most common mood disorders

    Read More

  • Pat Solitano Character Analysis

    569 Words  | 3 Pages

    He is super positive about getting his life back that he had previous to being put in an institution. He is positive he is going to get his wife Nikki back and will go back to his job teaching history. When Pats in the Mania stage there is no stopping him and his determination. Relating this to Newtons good old saying “what goes up must come down” In this disorder there is also the drop from Mania that makes the patient depressed and lost.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Communication In Raymond Carver's Cathedral

    1554 Words  | 7 Pages

    In the Raymond Carver stories “Cathedral” and “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love” communication plays a major role in developing the story. In this essay I will analyze how the theme of communication plays both similar and different roles in developing the meaning of these two stories to further understand how communication effects the characters. Communication is an important part of the story to understand because it gives the reader a better understanding of the moral of the story as well as important life influences of the author. “Cathedral” and “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love” are excellent to stories to compare their theme of communication because communication gives each story a unique meaning, but both stories use communication in different ways to do so. By exploring the different types of communication in these two stories it will be easier to understand the moral meaning of the stories but also how different types of communication can be more effective than verbal communication.

    Read More

  • Bipolar Research Paper Outline

    382 Words  | 2 Pages

    I. Bipolar disorder is a severe illness because they are different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through time to time. 1. Types of bipolar disorder a. Bipolar I disorder. You’ve had at least one manic episode. The manic episode may be preceded by or followed by hypomanic or major depressive episodes.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Mental Illness In The Perks Of Being A Wallflower

    884 Words  | 4 Pages

    The most discussed example of mental illness in the novel and film is depression. Stereotypically, a person suffering from this is depicted similarly to Charlie- an introverted and

    Read More

  • Schizoaffective Disorder Case Study

    728 Words  | 3 Pages

    is an illness in which schizophrenic and manic symptoms are both prominent in the same occurrence of the disease. The irregularity of mood typically takes the form of euphoria, accompanied by grandiose ideas and joined by increased self-esteem, but sometimes irritability or excitement are more apparent and joined by aggressive or forceful behavior and persecutory thoughts. In both cases, there is impaired concentration, overactivity, increased energy and a loss of normal social self-consciousness. Delusions of reference, persecution or grandeur, may be existing (Perry, Alexander, Liskow, & DeVane,

    Read More

  • Wes Moore's Theory

    1234 Words  | 5 Pages

    There have been many theories and research conducted on mental illness and how it can affect a person and their development through childhood and adolescents and follow them into adulthood as well. Many factors can play a role in a person’s development or onset of mental illness. These factors can have correlation with the environment the person grows up in and is surrounded with, it can be caused by something biological, the people that they surround themselves with, their economic status, and if they have parental involvement or support as well. In the case of Wes Moore, it shows and gives a better understanding of the biological, psychological, and cultural factors that can influence a child and their development, thought process, and

    Read More

  • Bipolar Disorder Informative Speech Outline

    1202 Words  | 5 Pages

    So what is bipolar disorder? A. “It is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks”, (National Institute of Mental Health). (TRANSITION: Now we know what bipolar disorder is, what are the factors that causes it?) II.

    Read More

  • When We Talk About Love By Raymond Carver Analysis

    1396 Words  | 6 Pages

    The short story “What We Talk about When We Talk about Love” by Raymond Carver is about four friends- Laura, Mel, Nick, and Terri, gathering on a table and having a conversation. As they start to drink, the subject abruptly comes to “love.” Then, the main topic of their conversation becomes to find the definition of love, in other word to define what exactly love means. However, at the end, they cannot find out the definition of love even though they talk on the subject for a day long. Raymond Carver in “What We Talk about When We Talk about Love” illustrates the difficulty of defining love by using symbols such as heart, gin, and the sunlight.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of What We Talk About When We Talk About Love By Raymond Carver

    959 Words  | 4 Pages

    Somehow they get onto the topic of love which begins a long discussion of they think love is. Out of the four of them, the narrator 's friend, Mel McGinnis, a cardiologist, is having a discussion with his wife, Terri, about her ex husband. Mel is explaining his opinion on Terri’s past relationship and how what her and her ex had wasn’t love after Terri explains that her ex was extremely abusive and showed his love by dragging terri around on the floor screaming “I love you bitch”. Terri however truly believes that her ex loved her, from this the reader can tell that since Terri was in an abusive relationship that her perception on love might distorted. Even though Terri’s ex abused her, she revealed she still felt sympathy for him when mentioning his attempts at suicide; “He shot himself in the mouth.

    Read More

  • Little Things Raymond Carver Analysis

    791 Words  | 4 Pages

    In his short story, “Little Things,” Raymond Carver uses a mixture of imagery and symbolism to argue that the main characters of his story do not have their child’s best interests at heart and, therefore, do notgh deserve the child. Its similarity to the well-known Bible story of Solomon’s choice also helps Carver make his point. In the story, King Solomon is presented with a child and two women whom both claim that they are this child’s real mother. Solomon asks for a sword and says he will cut the child in half and give each woman an even portion of the child. One woman eagerly agrees, while the other woman cries out and begs the king to stop and just give the child to the other woman instead.

    Read More

More about Summary Of Raymond Carver's Story 'What We Talked About Love'

Open Document