What We Talk About When We Talk About Love

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“What We Talk About When We Talk About Love” The short story called “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love” written by Raymond Carver takes place in Albuquerque, New Mexico. There are four main characters. The friends are all sitting around the table drinking gin before they head out to have dinner. There are two couples, Mel McGinnis, Terri McGinnis, Nick, and his wife Laura. These couples speak about love and what it means to them. Each one of their views of love is very different from the other. Mel McGinnis is a cardiologist. Seeing that he is a heart doctor it would be believed that he knew the most about the heart and how it works. Mel McGinnis was the one who spoke the most throughout the story however wasn’t always correct with what he was saying. Mel is touchy and doesn’t seem to take a joke well. Mel stands out. He seems to be a leader. Mel is very individualistic. Mel McGinnis’s job creates for good stories. Mel is telling stories throughout this whole short story. He will start to tell a story, get sidetracked, and argue all of his points, and then go on to the story again. He is constantly talking. It seems like there would not be much of a conversation between Mel, his wife Terri, Nick, and Nick’s wife Laura if it was not for Mel’s constant babbling. He surely leads the group. The problem is that he never clearly expresses his ideas. I think that this is due to the Gin that they are drinking. Mel’s opinion of love is nothing less than spiritual. He is far from an expert one love due to his desire to kill his ex-wife with swarms of bees. Mel knows absolutely nothing about love. Terri McGinnis was once married to a man named Ed before she married Mel McGinnis. The marriage of Ed and Terri was an abusive relationship. Ed tired to kill himself when Terri left him. Which Terri thought was an example of Ed truly loving her. Ed also threatened

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