Lack Of Communication In The Bath By Raymond Carver
While many short stories include the development of characters’ thoughts and a conclusion that ties loose ends together to help convey a theme, The Bath by Raymond Carver purposely excludes these elements to develop a theme. The Bath omits majority of the characters’ thoughts and feelings and does not have a conclusive ending, thus not communicating a clear understanding of the story to the reader and contributing to the theme of a lack of communication.
Throughout the story, very little of the character’s emotion is expressed to the reader. Most noticeable is the lack of information about the mother and father’s feelings as they await the recovery of their son. When the parents arrive at the hospital and are waiting for the boy’s condition,
none of their emotions are communicated to the reader: “He sat next to the mother. So now both of them waited for the boy to wake up. They waited for hours, and then the father went home to take a bath” (49). Although the traumatic situation would typically cause concern, no indication of worries is expressed, causing the reader to lack a full understanding of the characters. A conclusive ending is also omitted from the story, as the reader is unsure of the boy’s condition at the end. On the final page, the mother answers a phone call from an anonymous person regarding Scotty: “The telephone rang...‘This is Mrs. Weiss. Is it about Scotty?’ she said. ‘Scotty,” the voice said. ‘It is about Scotty,’” (56). Because the caller and his motive for calling is unknown, the reader is left with an unfinished story in which the boy’s fate is unclear.
Through the exclusion of the characters’ emotions and a conclusion, a theme of a lack of communication is conveyed. As the author, Carver, limits what is being communicated to the reader, the characters are also limiting their communication. Toward the beginning of the story, when the baker is speaking with Scotty’s mother, the narrator notes that the conversation is limited: “This was all the baker was willing to say. No pleasantries, just this small exchange, the barest of information, nothing that was not necessary” (48). The baker speaks only of necessary information and omits casual conversation just as Carver omits the thoughts and feelings of the mother and father along with the conclusion of the story. The lack of communication is further expressed when Scotty’s father is sitting next to his wife in the hospital but is unable to express his emotions. The narrator notes, “He wanted to say something else. But there was no saying what it should be... They sat like that for a while, watching the boy, not talking” (53). The father displays a lack of communication through his inability to communicate with his wife, while a lack of communication is also being supported by the absence of the father’s emotional description in the story. As readers struggle to understand the characters from the limited amount of information, the characters in the story struggle to understand the state of Scotty and emotions of other characters due to limited communication.
Throughout the story, very little of the character’s emotion is expressed to the reader. Most noticeable is the lack of information about the mother and father’s feelings as they await the recovery of their son. When the parents arrive at the hospital and are waiting for the boy’s condition,
none of their emotions are communicated to the reader: “He sat next to the mother. So now both of them waited for the boy to wake up. They waited for hours, and then the father went home to take a bath” (49). Although the traumatic situation would typically cause concern, no indication of worries is expressed, causing the reader to lack a full understanding of the characters. A conclusive ending is also omitted from the story, as the reader is unsure of the boy’s condition at the end. On the final page, the mother answers a phone call from an anonymous person regarding Scotty: “The telephone rang...‘This is Mrs. Weiss. Is it about Scotty?’ she said. ‘Scotty,” the voice said. ‘It is about Scotty,’” (56). Because the caller and his motive for calling is unknown, the reader is left with an unfinished story in which the boy’s fate is unclear.
Through the exclusion of the characters’ emotions and a conclusion, a theme of a lack of communication is conveyed. As the author, Carver, limits what is being communicated to the reader, the characters are also limiting their communication. Toward the beginning of the story, when the baker is speaking with Scotty’s mother, the narrator notes that the conversation is limited: “This was all the baker was willing to say. No pleasantries, just this small exchange, the barest of information, nothing that was not necessary” (48). The baker speaks only of necessary information and omits casual conversation just as Carver omits the thoughts and feelings of the mother and father along with the conclusion of the story. The lack of communication is further expressed when Scotty’s father is sitting next to his wife in the hospital but is unable to express his emotions. The narrator notes, “He wanted to say something else. But there was no saying what it should be... They sat like that for a while, watching the boy, not talking” (53). The father displays a lack of communication through his inability to communicate with his wife, while a lack of communication is also being supported by the absence of the father’s emotional description in the story. As readers struggle to understand the characters from the limited amount of information, the characters in the story struggle to understand the state of Scotty and emotions of other characters due to limited communication.