The Complexity of Love in Raymond Carver’s What We Talk...

One of the easiest things for society to get wrapped up talking about is love. And it always has been. In Raymond Carver’s â€Å"What We Talk About When We Talk About Love,† the four characters spend an entire afternoon discussing the simple word that has countless interpretations. Carver uses this story to convey how not everyone shares the same definition of love. He uses Mel, Terri, and Nick and Laura to show just a few of the ways love can be seen, expressed, or develops through stages. Mel McGinnis views love in a handful of different ways. His views somewhat change throughout the story. In the beginning of the short story, Nick best describes Mel’s reasoning as: â€Å"...I think what you’re saying is that love is an absolute† (Carver 387). Saying this is saying that love has a concrete meaning and also implies that it is lasting and not changing. Mel believes there is only one way to express love, and it is his way. As the story progr esses, Mel says, â€Å"But sometimes I have a hard time accounting for the fact that I must have loved my first wife too. But I did, I know I did† (390). Mel is now somewhat changing his mind. He now is willing to admit love you have for some one can fade and after you can love some one new. He knows he once loved his first wife, but now his love for Terri has replaced that. Mel also has a fairytale sense of what love is. Mel declares, â€Å"If I could come back again in a different life...I’d like to come back as a knight† (392). SocietyShow MoreRelatedWhat I Am About When We Talk About Love By Raymond Carver Essay1464 Words   |  6 PagesLove is a commonly misinterpreted concept that is many times taken for granted and unsurprisingly difficult to thoroughly comprehend. Love is an intangible conception and a condition of the mind that allows one to transcend emotional barriers between one another. In Raymond Carver’s short-story â€Å"What We T alk About When We Talk About Love†, love is illustrated in several different ways to provide insight on the various forms of love and how they transcend these emotional barriers. Love comes inRead MoreThe Sojourner And What We Talking About When We Talk About Love By Carson Mccullers And Raymond Carver1291 Words   |  6 PagesIn the short stories title The Sojourner and What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, written by Carson McCullers and Raymond Carver respectively, the writers tell a story about love and its changing attitudes. The main characters in these stories all vary in regard to their personalities and their individual idiosyncrasies, however, the message being conveyed by McCullers and Carver is that of the changing nature of love, and how it can impact an individual’s sense of self in respect to how one