Separation In Popular Mechanics By Raymond Carver

Raymond Carver’s short story, “Popular Mechanics,” is an ambiguous story about a devastating situation that is occurring within a family. The reason this story is obscure is that Carver meant for the tale to be contemporary or universal. Carver uses literary devices to input the dramatic yet vague narrative whose theme is an exaggeration but honest view on separation. Also, Carver uses plot devices and a dark setting to create a story both exciting yet disturbing, while strengthening the theme that separation hurts everyone. This tale begins in medias res as the weather is turning and the snow is melting. From there, symbolism is used by saying “Cars slushed by on the street outside, where it was getting dark. But it was getting dark on the

When the author writes,“Then she noticed the baby’s picture on the bed and picked it up.” (264) he is foreshadowing that something is going to happen to the baby. Immediately following is the discriminated occasion which starts as “He looked at her and she wiped her eyes and stared at him before turning and going back to the living room.” (264). From there, the pace increased more with a change in setting from a bedroom to the living room. After that, she is standing “in the doorway of the little kitchen, holding the baby.” (264). From here, the baby is introduced, and both man and woman want the baby with them and refuse to share. For example, “I want the baby, he said.” (264). Following this is when the woman defies the man and says, “You’re not touching this baby.” (264). The unknowing reader may feel as if he/she has to choose between sides at this

When first reading this narrative, someone may think the climax occurs when “the baby had begun to cry…” (264). Although, as the pace continues to increase until it reaches its peak, the reader stumbles upon the true climax, which is rather predictable but shocking. The climax first begins when “he moved toward her.” (264). From here, the situation escalates with him crowding her into a wall and trying to break her grip on the baby. (265). At this point, the conflict has become clear to be an external conflict because of the way the parents are fighting over the baby. After that, a brief description of the particular setting is given by saying, “The kitchen window gave no light.”