Contemporary Literature And The Postmodern Condition

A novel is only as great as its author’s efforts. The ability to tie everything together in the end of a novel without leaving any unsolved questions, or relying on the ex machina technique, is the goal in which all inspiring authors reach for. Novelist Edith Wharton once said, “At every stage in the progress of his tale the novelist must rely on what may be called the “illuminating incident” to reveal and emphasize the inner meaning of each situation. Illuminating incidents are the magic casements of fiction, its vistas on infinity.” This idea came from Wharton’s own work, The Writing of Fiction. In a different work of hers, a novel by the name of Ethan Frome, Wharton explores the concept of the illuminating incident very thoroughly. I have

In the short stories, “Cons” by Jess Walter, “Greasy Lake” by T. Coraghessan Boyle, and “Killings” by Andres Dubus, the characters experience epiphanies. An epiphany is defined as a moment in the story where a character achieves realization, awareness or a feeling of knowledge after which events are seen through the prism of this new light in the story.

In the short stories “A&P” by John Updike and “I Want to Know Why” by Sherwood Anderson, the protagonists experience powerful epiphanies. In “A&P” the epiphany occurs when the protagonist, Sammy, realizes that by quitting his job to try and impress some girls, his life will never be the same. In “I Want to Know Why,” the protagonist’s epiphany occurs when his hero, a jockey, brags to an unsavory woman in a brothel about winning a race, taking the credit away from the horse and making the protagonist realize that people are not always what they seem. These epiphanies are strengthened by the authors of both stories tightly controlling the characterization of the protagonists. The protagonist in “I Want to Know Why” experiences a stronger epiphany than the protagonist in “A&P.”

Though this work is like many of Carver’s other works with dialog, average hippi, working class people only this one illustrates his own new forsight in how to write. Yet this work still leaves you hanging in the moment as with all his literature

By using the stream of consciousness technique, Porter establishes Granny Weatherall's background. The occasional glimpse into the main character's past reveals the demanding responsibilities of a young widow. She reflects on how digging post holes, riding country roads in the

Compared to Carver’s short story, readers find themselves struggling to determine how the story was finalized having to interpret the ending in their own way. While

Endings can sometimes be a complicated read. The readers are not always given what they think will happen, or the answers to their questions during the story. This is where these stories differ in craft of the endings. Carver’s ending does not necessarily answer the question of “Does he forgive his wife?”. Because the ending of this story is not perfectly clear, it leaves the readers to think what they want. On the

"Everything Stuck To Him" by Raymond Carver, is a short story that is being told by a father to his daughter. Inside Carver’s short story, he writes a story inside a story, or otherwise known as a frame-story. The frame story consists of a young couple and their struggle while being inexperienced parents. More so, it shows the reader problems with the parents and their identities, responsibilities, and maturity. Furthermore, Carver uses many rhetorical devices such as frame story, characterization, and symbolism as he aims to create an intriguing plot for the reader(s).

Even though this first story in Hunter’s collection is only six pages, it is filled with tension and surprising moments. These happen at unexpected times and the suspense is also heightened by having the adjectives and actions told through a run-on sentence. The third numbered section (the last) of this piece starts on page 8 with, “...Peggy Paula wondering if she felt comfortable enough to get herself something to sip, and the woman coming out with Peggy Paula’s bread knife held high in her fist and making a horrible sound with her mouth, then Peggy Paula realized the woman was sobbing with her mouth wide open, and her heart broke for the woman even as she lunged…” We have many different things going on in this sentence and it may take a few reads as it did for me to really grasp all the going-ons.

In the short story, “Cathedral”, Carver uses reader response criticism to let the reader interpret the story by leaving out pieces of information. Carver has been dubbed a “minimalist” for his low-key plots and spare style (34). This approach allows the reader to look deeper into a character without even knowing their name. With the mentioning of alcohol, marijuana, and a suicide attempt, all before the eye-opening moment at the end…it gives the reader a glimpse into Raymond Carver’s own life-long struggle with alcoholism and possible struggles with his life.

Raymond Carver expresses his diction through mood. The author purposely withholds information because he wants the reader to create the settings by themselves. Raymond Carver did not give the reader any clear descriptions on the characters nor setting because the author wanted the reader to create everything based on their own imagination. By using this technique, the author allows the reader to feel and see the story on a more personal and emotional level.

Carver applies a minimalist style to his unique writing by taking away any and all unnecessary words. When read by the naked eye, Carver’s word selection appears simple, direct, and limited; however, this type of diction is effective for his writing purpose. The story describes a young couple starting out in life. The phrase “things change” is used to make the reader make inferences and draw conclusions. The boy explains, “Things change, he says.

The way Carver positions each character, and how he plays with his words creates a simple understanding of the dreary mood. It also affects the decisions the characters make. How Carver positions his set characters affects the dreary mood that he already input into the story. The setting outcome transforms into a tense setting, and it keeps the reader on their toes because of the dreary setting, and both of the character’s output anger. In “Popular Mechanics”, Carver depicts the lady as an angry and frustrated woman, and the male character angry and persistent.

Gentry is able to give examples of Carver's writings in which Carver fails to portray the women fairly and even goes so far as to depict women as nothing more than stereotypes. I agree with Gentry that Carver's writings are simplistic when he attempts to illustrates women's emotions. I also agree with Gentry's view that Carver does not truly place women in a position of power nor does he show their strength. My only disagreement with Gentry is his belief that Carver is in the slightest way aware of his

   To a reader unfamiliar with his work, Raymond Carver's short story, "Little Things" may seem devoid of all literary devices owning to good writing. Fortunately, these people are mistaken. With his minimalistic style, it is what Carver doesn't write that makes his work so effective. Most of Carver's short stories describe situations that many people could find themselves in and that is why his work is so appealing to readers. They are not restricted to harsh explicative details or over-dramatized language, but are allowed to create their own rationale for the actions of the characters and the consequent results.