Summary of “Little Things” by Raymond Carver

Raymond Carver’s short story entitled “Little Things” is a representation of internal situation in a house when a husband and a wife could not retrieve the love that once felt before. The author did not state the names of the characters but only used the words “she” and “he” to refer the names of the characters as husband and wife. This story is a situation that most families usually get into because of the separation and the child is the most affected in the whole scenario for he or she could not able to determine whether to go with his or her mother or with his or her father.

The story begins when the man paced his own things for he decided to leave his family. the woman was happy as according to her that the man will leave but it was felt from her emotions that it is hard for her to accept the situation. After packing all the things in his suitcase, the man went to the living room to get the baby but the woman did not want the man to take the baby so she grabbed the baby into the man’s hand. The baby started to cry but the two did not mend the tears and shout of the baby. They did not let each other to get the baby so they grabbed each other’s hands.

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Because the woman is much weaker than the man, the man obtained the baby. The woman could not accept it so she tried again but the decision went on as the story ended. Carver’s story is a detailed short story as it represents the signification of elements and images that exists within the whole narrative. It shows that he is capable of acquiring consequences that emerged in the home where men and women could not recognize their weaknesses and incapability that made them quit from being together.

Reference

Carver, R. (1988). Little Things. Tess Gallagher From Where I’m Calling From: The Selected Stories Atlantic Monthly Press, 1988.