Separation And Effect Of Divorce In The Little Things By Raymond Carver

The story title “The Little Things” by Raymond Carver, discuses about the separation and the effect of divorce on the children. The story is told in the third person with a tone of anger and aggression by an anonymous narrator. Carver supported the theme of divorce by uses imagery, metaphor and symbolism to set the narration.

The author has introduced the setting of the story by an imagery. “…it was getting dark.

But it was getting dark on the inside too” (Carver). The description of light and dark of the story refers to conflict between the man and his wife or boyfriend. This ascent placed on the fact that it gets darker again later will be clear to the reader with the fight for custody of the baby and that something bad will happen to the

It becomes clear to the reader that there is more than way back and there is no possible resolution when refer to the language used in the story.

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The used of short sentences to measure the degree of tension in the “couple” and represent a metaphor in the story. “….the little shoulder….of the little kitchen” (Carver). The

“little” is used three times in history. A first time in the title and a second time to describe the

"shoulder" and a third and final time to describe the "kitchen". The acute use of this word:

"little", suggests to the reader that the house becomes smaller, the separation becomes inevitable and that the relationship should end, whatever the situation. For example, imagine the situation where a tree who supposed to become big plants in a small vase. Over time the tree grows and if they do not take out the tree from the little vase it will break out and it is the end of the tree and for the vase. Like what the house becomes too small separation becomes evident.

Also, Carver used a symbolism to describe the narration when both parents discussing the baby. “In the scuffle they knocked down a flower pot that hung behind the