The writing style of Raymond Carver is very simple and blunt. He says exactly what is going on and you do not have to wonder. In the very first few sentences, he explains that a blind man was “on his way to spend the night. His wife died. So he was visiting the dead wife’s relatives in Connecticut.” As shown here, he leaves no detail out. However in “Araby” by James Joyce, he sets the scenery and leaves the suspense for his readers. He is very descriptive in his imagery as he explains the “uninhabited house of two stories stood at the blind end, detached from its neighbors in a square ground.” James’ attention to detail is a huge contrast to Raymond’s style of writing. Until James explained the character had “never spoken to her, except for a few casual words, and yet her name was like a summons to all my foolish blood.” The readers weren’t completely sure if he knew this woman he seemed to be so fond of. Unlike Raymond, who told us from the beginning what the mood between of characters and tone was.
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3 thoughts on “Week 13- Sanaya Kosanovich”
Hello, Sanaya. I agree with your post. Raymond’s clear language and conversational tone don’t truly evoke the concept of imagery in my mind like Araby did. The story Araby’s rhythm and vocabulary allow readers to visualize the story in their minds.
Hey Sanaya I feel the same way you feel about Raymond Carver’s style of writing. especially when you mention how he leaves no room to wonder and says exactly what’s going on. I did notice how the story Araby the writer uses more descriptive language however I didn’t take into account the elements of mystery.
Great stories to contrast, Sanaya. “Araby” uses very elegant language with lots of metaphor and imagery. And yes, I agree that there is a lot of mystery in “Araby” that we don’t see in “Cathedrals.” The protagonist in “Cathedral” is not a simple one, but it’s easy to form ideas about him through his behaviors.