Raymond Carver's Everything Stuck To Him

The literary work “Everything Stuck to Him” by Raymond Carver is a short story that attempts to engage the reader with its unique style. The story tells of a man speaking with a woman about their lives 20 years prior. In the frame story -- a story within a story, the narrator tells of a time when he, his wife, and his daughter all lived together. However, many years later it is clear that this is no longer the case. To further develop the context and purpose of the piece, Carver uses several literary devices that help the reader to understand why this is the case. When writing, Carver’s specific choices such as his minimalist style, symbolism, and diction greatly impact both the meaning and the development of the piece. Carver’s minimalist style is immensely important to the development and understanding of the story’s plot. He successfully establishes this technique through extreme spareness and simplicity. This style in Carver’s writing is intended to make the reader think. An example of this is when the man is speaking to his daughter about her mother. He says,

At the very start of the frame story Carver describes the peculiar setting. The father says that it is November and a cold spell has occurred. In November, the seasons change from fall to winter. It is snowing during this time, which shows the unsettled nature of the setting. The weather is symbolic of the mother and father changing as individuals as well as a couple. Carver also symbolizes the couples naiveness by quickly mentioning the dentist’s letterhead. The father says, “So one day the dentist finds out they were using his letterhead for their personal correspondence.” It can be inferred that the newlyweds do not have their own identities figured out and have lots of growing up to do. Carver’s symbolism is evident throughout the piece and not only contributes to the characters, but contributes to the change over time as