Popular Mechanics

5 Pages 1198 Words

Commentary on Popular Mechanics

In Raymond Carver’s short story Popular Mechanics, the meticulous focus on details is immediately obvious to the reader, whether it be the integrated symbols, the characterization, or even the title. Raymond Carver’s short story comes together to leave its readers stunned, and left to make their own conclusions at the end. By focusing on Carver’s literary techniques, one will be able to see the depth of this short story.

From the first short paragraph of Raymond Carver’s Popular Mechanics, the reader is left in suspense. Carver sets the mood of the story with the first sentence. The author states that the “snow was melting into dirty water”. Immediately the reader anticipates something bad is going to happen, or has already. A bleak atmosphere is created by snow, normally white and pure, melting away into dirtiness. The setting is dark. This allows the reader to anticipate that evil will come. Carver states that outside it was “getting dark. But it was getting dark on the inside too.” Once again the setting gives the reader a bleak feeling. When it is dark outside, humans go inside to avoid it. However, with the darkness engulfing the safety of the house as well, one must know that trouble is ahead.

The narration of the story has much to do with the effect upon the readers. Carver is an objective narrator. Throughout the argument between the mother and father, the narrator does not take sides and does not state his own opinion. The neutrality of the narrator allows the readers to make their own judgment. This brings the reader into the story by allowing them to judge the parents and draw up their own verdict.

Carver does not describe the characters, but allows the readers to gain knowledge of them by their actions. This type of characterization allows the reader to develop his or her own opinion on who the character really is. One can tell that the woman i...