Comparing Chef's House And Calling From

Most of the stories from Raymond Carver share the same topic, alcoholism. But there are two particular stories “Chef’s House” and “Where I’m Calling From” that have certain similarities and differences. In “House” Edna agrees to reunite with her alcoholic husband, Wes, for one summer to share a friend's beach house. During the summer Wes refrains from drinking, to enjoy the summer. When Chef returns, requiring Edna and Wes to leave, everything changes again. In “Calling,” we meet two patients of an alcoholic facility who share their experiences in life. In fact, “House” and “Calling” differ in the setting of the stories, but are similar because they both have friends who were or are alcoholic and also because the addiction to alcohol has ruined their lives.
First, the stories differ in the setting. On one hand, in “House,” the story takes place during the summer in a beach house. The main character Wes calls Edna to ask her to spend the summer with him after their separation caused by Wes’s alcoholic problem. Wes would not take a no for an answer therefore he uses the weather to captivate Edna:
“Edna, you can see the
In ‘House,” Wes has moved back to his wife and has recovered his happiness, or at least that is what he thinks. Now Chef asks him to move out of the house. Wes feels he cannot stay sober outside the house. Wes wishes he could do it over again, and do it right this time because his kids don’t love him and they won’t understand. Wes hasn’t found the peace he needs and won’t find it outside Chef’s house. In “Calling,” the narrator is divorced and doesn’t want to talk to his girlfriend. The narrator spends New Years day at the dry out facility. He wants to call his wife to wishes her happy New Year, and then he will call his girlfriend. But that’s it. He hopes somebody could share the special holidays with him instead he is by