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Popular Mechanics Raymond Carver Analysis

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“Popular Mechanics” is a short story written by Raymond Carver. This story discusses a couple breaking apart. The male arrives at their home, starts packing his belongings, all the while, the woman shouts at him to leave through tears. As the man is packing, the woman picks up the picture of their baby, and he demands she give him the picture. When she will not let him have it, he demands that he wants the baby instead. She scurries to hold the baby in her arms and protect the child from him. Becoming angrier, attempts to grab the baby out of her arms. They continue to fight for the baby until they both pull firm at the same time, and this is where the story states the issue is decided. This short story models a great example of how conflicts …show more content…

Everyone has arguments, but in this story, the couple were in an extremely rough spot. He arrives home from work and immediately starts packing a bag. He barely says anything at first which is a major problem. In a relationship, communication is extremely important. He is not communicating his concerns, and in return, she is not able to address or fix the issue. On the other hand, she is extremely verbal and is screaming at him. Not achieving any response aggravates her more and creates further problems. This poor communication was a major factor in their unhealthy …show more content…

“Don’t, she said. You’re hurting the baby, she said.” (Carver 125). This sentence shows her concern and her feelings towards the baby. She cares for the child and wants him to be safe while the father claims he is not hurting the baby, when in reality, he certainly is. The man only cares about the end result: winning and claiming the baby as his to take. This man’s selfishness led to the end of this relationship. This story explains and makes clear how important communication is in a relationship. The man communicated little, even in the middle of an argument. In a relationship, the parties involved should always be sharing their thoughts, opinions, and feelings. In the relationship in the story, the woman is open about her feelings and communicates well. She is upset about what is happening, but the man just quietly packs up, not showing emotion. Throughout the relationship, he likely kept his feelings and thoughts to himself, and it hurt the

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