Significance Of The Stones Apartment In Neighbors, By Raymond Carver

In the short story “Neighbors,” Raymond Carver highlights the significance of the Stones’ apartment as it symbolizes an escape from reality and a new exhilarating life the Millers long for. Although the reader is informed that Bill and Arlene are a happy couple, their lives contrast to that of their neighbors, the Stones. When Bill unconsciously spends “more than an hour” at the Stones’ apartment, there is a sense of envy and a desire to live the same life as the Stones. By exploring the Stones’ apartment, the millers manage to get closer to the better life they seek. As the story progresses, it becomes more evident that the Stones’ apartment takes control of Bill’s life, up to the point where he would tell his wife Arlene to “call in for him”