Analysis Of "The Idea"

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EngL204 Paper 1 Analysis of “The Idea” A good story is made of many things. It needs to start with an intriguing title, something that calls the reader in. It must have characters and a plot. Most importantly it must have a beginning, middle and end. Most people would also expect a clear meaning to come out of it; some sort of underlying moral that should speak to them. Each story leaves room for interpretation, each reader will see things differently. Raymond Carver does an incredible job of leaving room for interpretation in his story “The Idea”. Although the plot itself may seem vague or incomplete, Carver’s use of dialogue, point of view, and realism creates a story that can leave the reader scratching his/her head. The story begins in the kitchen one evening after supper. Vern and his wife – the narrator who remains unnamed – are spying on their neighbors as they do most every night. They watch as the gentleman neighbor walks outside and stands at his wife’s window to watch her undress. Although the narrator claims not to like the activity, and many times refers to the neighbor woman as “trash”, she continues to watch with Vern every night. The life that Vern and his wife lead is shown to be very mediocre and even a little mundane. They eat, sleep, and watch TV. This lack of excitement of their own could possibly be why they continue to watch the neighbors. Carver’s use of dialogue in this story creates a tension between the narrator and her husband. His use of half responses leaves the reader feeling like he has more to say, but just will not spit it out. One very clear example of his half response comes when the narrator asks him “What does she have that other women don’t have” and he responds “That’s just it”. The vagueness of this response can imply many different things. He could be pointing out exactly what it is that this other woman has, or he
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