Popular Mechanics By Raymond Carver Essay

In his story “Popular Mechanics,” by using literary elements such as plot, setting, tone and symbols, Raymond Carver displays the abhorrence in a relationship leading to the devastation of the relation itself but most importantly the child. Carver’s style of writing the story, being limited omniscient, makes the story interesting to read by telling just enough to make a picture of what is happening and leaving space for the reader’s imagination, rather than telling a step by step story. The significance of title “Popular Mechanics” is that it is common for couples/parents to use their children as retribution elements.

In the beginning Carver ironically uses the weather as setting to describe the mood and atmosphere. The season used in the story is winter. As winter is season of cold and symbolizes cold, dark and gray. Where color represents happiness, joy and life and darkness represents dullness, sadness and stress. “Early that day the weather turned and the snow was melting into dirty water.”(276). the first sentence gives the reader a hint about something that has happened between the couple in the story and their

relationship is falling apart. Carver uses snow, which is a symbol of purity, its color white represents calmness. However, by adding “melting into dirty water,” (276), he symbolizes the relationship that was once pure and happy is now falling apart. Then Carver says, “cars slushed by the street outside, where it was getting dark. But it was getting dark on the inside too.” (276). Now this sentence makes the picture clearer, that there is some darkness in the house due to something sad and depressing going on.
Carver does not introduce the characters directly; it is done indirectly by their actions and words. The story is about a couple not clearly mentioned whether the couple is dating or married. The relationship between the two is almost at breaking point. There are only three characters a male, a female and an infant. There are missing details about the characters in terms of their names, backgrounds and relationship status. However, by not providing these details, Carver allows the reader to think deeply about the story, which could be different if there were these details as the reader would shape his/her thoughts around those details.
The tones that Carver uses are dramatic, angry and frustrated, significance of emotions of characters. The woman in the story is angry and frustrated due to her partner not responding to her. For example, she says, “I’m glad you’re leaving! … Do you hear? Son of a bitch! I’m glad you are leaving.” (276). By using phrase “son of a bitch” and her repeating “I’m glad you are leaving,” again and again, Carver portrays a scene for the reader where a lady is full of anger and is shouting.
Carver uses irony as an important element in this story. To convey his theme Carver uses irony. For example, as the story is based on common practice of children being used as retribution element. Carver ironically shows that even though it seems both parents are fighting for the baby and arguing about who will keep, neither of these two actually seem to have love and care for this child. Another example is that the woman is constantly asking the man to leave but does not really wants him to go. One more is by describing the ‘little’ kitchen carver is talking about the atmosphere to the house how it is suffocated with anger and frustration.
The story performs as a play; one character’s actions are followed by another in response. Even though, story goes with the emotions of characters coming out in the form of their actions, there is still enough space for the reader to feel different than the character. Without particularly leading toward one emotion, Carver leaves it up to the reader and which emotion is evoked for him/her depending on connection he/she makes to the story. For example, when the woman takes picture of their baby and man asks to bring it back, one might connect with the woman and feelings of a mother and on the other hand one might see the situation in favor of man as a father.
The plot strategy of the story is, there is nothing shown by what happened between the couple, what was the matter or issue. In the beginning Carver says, “He was in the bedroom pushing clothes into a suitcase when she came to the door,” (276). By using the word ‘pushing’ instead of putting, Carver shows the frustration that this man has. The woman is standing at the door. This is how Carver introduces the characters of the story. She says, “I’m glad you’re leaving! I’m glad you’re leaving!” which shows that she is happy that he is leaving the house. However, in the next sentence she begins to cry after saying the same once more, now this shows that she is not happy about him leaving. She does not want their relation to break, but she is angry. The issue of their fight is not mentioned and whether it is him or her who did something wrong. The reason could even be them not being compatible for each other; not successful in fulfilling each other’s needs and wants. Another reason could be either of them cheating on the other, the list goes on. But then she says, “Just get your things and get out.” (276). Now this could mean that the man is at fault. Her telling him to leave and crying as he is leaving show that she does not want to lose him, but due to what he has done she does not want to stop him either Next thing the woman does is she picks up the picture of the baby from the bed. This introduces that there is also a child in this relationship. Her taking the baby’s picture and his calling to bring it back foreshadows what is coming up in the future. As the woman notices that the man is not responding to her, now she wants to evoke him and uses their baby to do so. Here Carver is foreshadowing that as now the couple is fighting over the picture of the baby, next they will fight over the baby. All this is rising action leading up to the conflict of the story.
Carver uses diction and reference to show the shallowness of the relationship between the couple. He packed up his suitcase and looked at the bedroom before leaving; this shows that he is also not happy to leave the house, but also does not plan to come back. They both are angry and frustrated about ongoing issues between the two and their ego is not letting them resolve the issue and both want to get away. “She is standing in the doorway of the little kitchen.” (276) Here Carver uses the word ‘little’ to resemble the shallowness of this relationship, that there is no place for them to solve the issues and grow the relation. Also Carver says, “The kitchen window gave no light,” (277) it is referring to the reader that now there is no hope left for this relation, it is trapped in such darkness that nothing can bring it back to light.
Carver uses foreshadowing as a strong element to direct the story. The story leads to conflict where both parents are now fighting to have the baby. She is moving back into the kitchen and he is moving towards her. They both are loud and shouting and the baby cries. Now they both are physically fighting and pulling the baby. Due to both pulling the body parts of the baby; the woman to keep hold of him/her and the man to take him from her; the baby is ‘red-faced’ and screaming. In this process, they both knock of a flower-pot and it breaks, this foreshadows that they are going to harm the baby too. The flower-pot is now empty and broken without the flower, and this cannot be reversed. Similarly, now the family is also breaking apart and the baby is similar to flower in the pot. She says, “You are hurting the baby.” But he says “I’m not hurting the baby.” (277). Here Carver is making a hint that now they are so aggressive, and even when the woman realizes that they are hurting the baby, neither of them stop. It is very sad for the reader to see an infant in so much pain. The couple is playing “tug-of war” with the baby, pulling his body parts. This also shows that neither of these actually cares for their child that parents should do.
The resolution of the story is not clear, but it is intense.

As the fight and argument between the couple increases, leading to the baby being harmed, but Carver does not mention to what extent. Either the baby’s arm broken or the baby ripped apart (killed), it is up to the reader to imagine and decide. Last sentence is Carver says “in this manner, the issue was decided,” this means in the violence between the couple the infant had to suffer. What happens next is not stated; it feels like story started from the middle and did not have a clear ending. It would be better if none of them got to keep the infant. By the end, the reader is fully familiarized with the subject of the story. When one reads the story between the lines, he/she understands that Carver is talking about the couple throughout the story, but actually the infant is the main

focus.
The characteristics of the both man and woman are selfish and violent. Both of them are fighting over who will keep the baby. However, none of them seem to have a love for the infant. They are just fighting over the baby because one does not want the other to have him/her. Both of them are not ready to and did not even try to stop the fight, even after knowing that they are hurting their child. For example, Carver says, “No! She screamed just as her hands came loose.” And also “But would not let go,” (277). They are fighting over the baby just as young kids fight about sharing toys.
The theme of the story is bad relationships leading to bad parenting and disturbing future. The story is image of bad relationships that end in violence. Relationships like this are living around us in real life. There are relations that end up falling apart due to various reasons, and that is ok. But when there is so much hate and drama, these break ups cause harm to the people in the lives of both partners. It is even more miserable when there are children involved. Children being part of these relations and living with emotional, mental and physical stress and challenges, live with these all their life.
Carver’s diction is one very interesting element of his writing. Also his use of combinations of actions and emotions leading the story makes it easier for the reader to stay focused. Carver’s use of these literary elements creates a story, which is short but full of emotions, drama and reality that affect each reader differently. This short story, despite its quantity is full of quality with an assortment of elements that turn it into a work of art.