What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver was a a thought provoking read i thought. I finished the story the same way the charachters did, "i could hear my heart beating. I could hear everyones heart..." (684) This story really makes you think about what your personal beliefs on love are. Does it even exist? and if so what kinds of love are there? As mentioned in the story, there is carnal love, sentimental love, and spiritual love. Or as I call them, BS, BS, and more BS. But that's just me. I walked away thinking all this love talk is crap because of the way Terri kept insisting that the man who beat her and almost ended her life, "loved her". I was getting angry just like Mel was as she kept trying to defend her relationship with that monster.
I think Mel and I am on the same page sort of because he was in shock about the old fart who was depressed " because he couldn't look at the fucking woman."(683) How does one fall in love so deeply that not having a visual of that person breaks your heart and sends you into a depression! I think this old fart needs to take some lessons from Louise Mallard in The Story of an Hour.
So in conlusion, i think Carver wrote this piece to get his feelings out about what he's talking about when he talks about love! Tres interessant!
*This is what i'm talkin bout when i talk about love!
This story was one of my favorites, I liked all the different perspective on love and it sounded like a casual conversation between friends. It's a story everyone can relate to.
ReplyDeleteI too found it shocking that Terri was defending her first husband. How can someone who beats you and tries to kill you love you? And why would you defend him? I pretty much felt the same way as Mel on that topic.
It seems like the old man is over dramatic when he says he is depressed because he cannot see his wife but I think he was so upset because he is really old and all he has is his wife. I know it sounds cliche but maybe his wife is the only thing keeping him going
This story does demonstrate three types of of love. While both couples sat in silene after Mel told the story of the old mad it informed me that neither couples were in love. I do believe the old man is in love with his wife causing me to have sympathy for him while he is in the hospital. I know he is scared he might loose her because that is probably the only thing that makes him happy.
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