Popular Mechanics Raymond Carver

Gerard Way once quoted “Human nature at times is unfortunately very ugly and I learned the world can be a very ugly place. In “Popular Mechanics” two parents are arguing about who gets custody over their child, then starts to pull the child apart leading to its gruesome death. Carver Raymond the author of “Popular Mechanics” uses voice, symbolism, and imagery to demonstrate that the violence of human nature in dark times can lead them to the destruction of the things they have created. Carver, the author of “Popular Mechanic” uses imagery to demonstrate when a person is in darkness they will end up doing something evil. In the beginning Carver describes the setting by saying, “But it was getting dark on the inside too.” (Carver 123). In the real world things that are getting darker are usually noted as an evil being. He uses imagery to demonstrate that the characters are in darkness and do evil thing He then goes on to illustrate how violence can destroy the creations people make.

Carver develops this by making the couple knock over a flower plant while they were fighting amongst each other. As the man was trying to get the baby out of the woman’s grip “ They knocked down a flower pot that hung behind the stove.”(Carver 124). A flower pot can be used to keep beautiful flowers in them. Also flower pots are used for people to decorate the place they call home. The flower pot can both symbolize the happiness of the family or the beauty in the world, or even the family themselves. The flower pot can represent the family because as the flower pot broke apart, so was the family. He then goes on to illustrate how violence is a normal part of being