Love and marriage often go hand in hand. Without love, it is difficult to uphold a successful marriage. Some say there is no true love, and the idea of true love is a questionable theory. Many compare love to a ghost that few have seen but many speak about. Love is thought to be like the foundation and marriage like the house. Without a strong foundation a successful house cannot be built. If no true love can be attained, it is questionable if love exists in marriage. Advocating for love and marriage is difficult when there always seems to be complications. In Raymond Carver’s book Where I’m Calling From he addresses the topic of love and marriage negatively in a variety of ways. Raymond Carver is not a proponent of love but rather, an opponent of …show more content…
His references to abusive marriage and infatuation over marriage proves Carver does not support love and marriage. As Carver is an opponent of love, one can argue that he is a proponent of love and marriage by the way he shows love and marriage providing comfort and affection.
Raymond Carver shows that he is a proponent of love and marriage when he showcases affection and comfort between his characters. In the short story The Student’s Wife, Mika and Nan share an intimate moment in bed where Mike attempts to comfort Nan. While they are in bed and Nan is having trouble sleeping, Mike stays up to put her to sleep, “he inched a little closer to her on his side. … she put her arm over him … he took her fingers and squeezed them.” (Carver 24)The love the couple has for each other is clearly present in the moments they are together. When Mike squeezes her hand it is his way of acknowledging Nan and showing that he is there for her. Nan putting her arm over Mike shows that she is affectionate towards him and enjoys touching him. Carver portrays the couple to be in love and comforting to one another. Comfort and affection does not stop at The Student’s Wife but goes into