When We Talk About Love Raymond Carver Analysis

In Raymond Carver’s 1981 short story “What We Talk about When We Talk about Love,” he gives us insight on the fascinating topic of love. This short story is narrated in first-person singular in the present tense through the narrator Nick. He is telling a story about two sets of couples. Laura, and the narrator Nick, and Mel and Terri are the other couple mentioned. Nick is observant throughout the story and seems extremely nonjudgmental of others. “I could hear my heart beating. I could hear everyone’s heart. I could hear the human noise we sat there making, not one of us moving, not even when the room went dark (569).” Within this quote we see that the narrator, Nick, is extremely observant of his surroundings. This quote is the last line of the short story, after “gin’s gone” is stated (569). Throughout the whole short story they were sitting around the table talking about love. When this line is stated its showing that the alcohol is what kept the conversation going. This alcohol gave them all the courage and honesty to talk about something that they probably would not have if they were sober.
‘I didn’t even know the man. I’ve only heard his name mentioned in passing. I wouldn’t know. You’d have to know the particulars. But I think what you’re saying is that love is an absolute (561).’” In this quote it is shown that Nick likes not to judge people for their actions if he does not know the situation. This follows a part of the story when Terri is talking about her ex-lover and how “he loved her so much he tried to kill her (560).” Nick has absolutely no insight on who this man really was and was not going to judge him for his actions that Terri mentions. Nick could have also said this because he felt pressured by Mel. He saw Mel as a higher because of his job ranking and Mel would immediately shut down anyone who would say something he did not