Raymond Carver's Everything Stuck To Him

Raymond Carver possesses a minimalist writing style that makes his stories unique. In “Everything Stuck to Him” Carver narrates the story in the form of a frame narrative, and implements various uses of symbolism to convey his desired theme. The combination of these aspects enhances the overall story and allows Carver to tell it better, but in fewer words. Carver’s minimalist style makes it so that not a word is wasted. He keeps his sentences short and choppy, which also hints at poor communication between the two. Every detail mentioned in the story is put there for a reason and has indirect value to the theme. Even the smallest of details, or the most stark conversations hold meaning. When Carver writes “The boy used to say to the

So much of the story’s meaning is left to the reader to infer, greatly in part to the liberal use of symbolism. The most prominent symbol in the story takes place before the the reader even turns to the first page. The title, “Everything Stuck to Him” is quoted in the story, with a literal connotation as Carver writes, “...the boy turned the plate into his lap...the boy looked down at himself, at everything stuck to his underwear”. This is later revealed to be a symbol for the consequences of the main character’s actions and decisions. A main conflict in the short story is the boy’s internal conflict, being forced to choose between his young, responsibility-free life, and family man. The development of his decision is portrayed through a series of symbols, beginning with the clearing of his windshield. When the boy’s wife first presents the conflict, the boy storms out to go clear the ice off of his windshield. While outside, the boy first realizes the decision he has to make. The clearing of the windshield is symbolic of the boy being able to clearly see what’s at stake. Shortly thereafter, the boy returns inside, and removes his hunting gear, signaling the decision to put down the hunting lifestyle in favor of a paternal