Money no longer being the driving factor in how he feels about them. Retrieved from https://graduateway.com/analysis-of-the-title-used-in-raymond-carvers-elephant/, This is just a sample. Your email address will not be published. Taken from his Elephant and Other Stories collection the story is narrated in the first person by an unnamed narrator and from the beginning of the story it would appear that Carver is exploring the theme of dependency. Taken from his Elephant and Other Stories collection the story is narrated in the first person by an unnamed narrator and from the beginning of the story it would appear that Carver is exploring the theme of dependency.Raymond Carver American Literature Analysis. High and fine literature is wine, and mine is only water; but everybody likes water. We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. It is also through this dream of his father that the reader realizes that the narrator is taking on the role his father had, of supporting others. What is also interesting about the narrator is the fact that he accepts his position in life. High unemployment for By clicking “Write my paper”, you agree to our, Topic: Analysis of the title used in Raymond Carver’s Elephant, https://graduateway.com/analysis-of-the-title-used-in-raymond-carvers-elephant/, Get your custom He stands there with his arms level with his shoulders, mirroring his dream of him sitting on his father’s shoulders.

Web. This dream is important for several reasons. I sense that Carver want to point at him as a good but not so clever man. He depends on people relying on him because he does it to feel wanted, in my opinion. The female unit of elephants has a leader called a matriarch where the entire herd of elephants rely on the matriarch to lead them. Carver, Raymond. We also learn that he is supporting his mother, sending her money every month, his ex-wife (alimony payments) and his two children. <. This paper explores the nature and style of Raymond Carver's simplistic writing and how it conveys the theme of rising above dependency and obsessions over materialism. Retrieved November 05, 2020, from, "Raymond Carver's "Elephant"" 01 December 2008. What we also know as readers is that the narrator lives alone, spending much of his time sitting in his chair at home too tired after work to do anything. Raymond Carver's "Elephant" (2008, December 01) A comparison of three of Raymond Carver's short stories where the lack of hope in life is portrayed. What kind of metaphorical meaning do we get from the story’s title? It is something that actually happened and there is a feeling of guilt or regret on the narrator’s part. You won’t fall.’ It is the first time in the story where someone else is supporting the narrator rather than him supporting everyone else. The entire family could depend on the father back then. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. The sacrifices he makes for his family, the cutting back of his own expenses and the stress of it all are not appreciated by his family. 05 November. "Elephant." The narrator is standing outside Smitty’s and George, a work colleague of the narrator pulls up and offers the narrator a lift. Required fields are marked *, Notify me of follow-up comments via e-mail. Also, the author could have used the word elephant to bring attention to the phrase elephant in the room which means an obvious topic that everyone avoids bringing up. Where I am Calling From. In his short story titled simply ‘Elephant’, Raymond Carver focuses on the elephant both literally and figuratively. We can relate to this in our daily lives as there are always people looking to use us for their own benefit. (2017, Jan 05). This character very much sets the overall style and form of the story itself, both in his use of language and ... An analysis of the stories and style of American short fiction writer Raymond Carver, using "Cathedral", "Fat" and "A Small, Good Thing". Throughout the story the narrator’s family become more dependent on him. 2.Why did the narrator go to Smitty’s and why did he get into the car of George, asking him to drive fast? The author reinforced this idea when he made it clear that the narrator’s ‘white elephants’ are, in fact his family who is living off his hard earned money. Firstly because it symbolizes support, his father telling him that things will be okay ‘You can let go, he said, I’ve got you. I’m sorry but I would need to read the story again and at the moment I have a backlog of stories I need to read. His family members all look to him for financial help because of his stability in earning money. It is as if he is living his life, just to help his family. In Elephant by Raymond Carver we have the theme of dependency, security, struggle, acceptance and letting go. Elephants rely on their family bonds in order to survive.

Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. To his mother because he pities her and to his ex-wife because the judge has told him that he has to keep sending money to her. What is ironic about this meeting is the fact the reader is aware that George’s car remains unpaid for (mirroring all the money which the narrator is still waiting for from his family, they remain in debt just like George). He is in essence their security, without him their lives would become more unmanageable if not impossible. If he cuts off the money, he will be abandoned and shrouded in loneliness. Elephant. The narrator works hard to sustain the people on his payroll like his mother who is not working, his brother and his wife who are constantly asking for more money, his son in university and his daughter who is looking after her own children and her jobless husband. An analysis of the main themes in Raymond Carver's "Elephant". His family’s constant dependency cures the narrator’s loneliness therefore he continues to submit to his family members’ requests despite the toll it takes on himself. He thinks he got out from a bad mood in the right way, but Carver strikes him at last. He also becomes the leader of his family by becoming the one every one relies on. Essay, Use multiple resourses when assembling your essay, Get help form professional writers when not sure you can do it yourself, Use Plagiarism Checker to double check your essay, Do not copy and paste free to download essays. The idea of change within the narrator is further explored when the reader finds him outside Smitty’s café. Elephant (1988) Raymond Carver Thank you! I would also agree with you that the narrator is an easy touch who deep down is really searching for love. McManus, Dermot. 2007. Raymond Carver focused on the literal meaning of the elephant by having the narrator’s family members constantly look to him for support. Sorry, but copying text is forbidden on this website. In Elephant by Raymond Carver we have the theme of acceptance, struggle, security, letting go and dependency. Despite this the narrator tells George to drive the car as fast as he can. Even when he was frustrated and threatened to move to Australia, the ‘white elephants’ in his life remained. In Elephant by Raymond Carver we have the theme of acceptance, struggle, security, letting go and dependency. AcaDemon — The narrator takes it upon him and makes it his duty to sacrifice for the sake of his family, thus reinforcing the helplessness and laziness of his other family members. You can get your custom paper from The second reason the dream is important is because it is after the dream that the narrator begins to let go, just as his father had told him. However the most important dream that the narrator has is the one where he is sitting on his father’s shoulders and he imagines that his father is an elephant and he is riding on top of him. What is also important about the narrator dreaming about his son, is the fact that he also dreams that someone had given him some whiskey in the dream.

our expert writers, Hi, my name is Jenn Stay tuned! The narrator’s brother (Billy) is looking for five hundred dollars from the narrator to help him while he looks for another job. He might be struggling in work and paying money to his family but he knows that drinking, ‘that was the worst thing that could have happened. He is no longer tied down to his old ideals in which he begrudges supporting his family. White elephants are considered so sacred that there are laws to keep them protected from labour.