It is as if he is living his life, just to help his family. Firstly because it symbolizes support, his father telling him that things will be okay ‘You can let go, he said, I’ve got you. Raymond Carver's short story "Cathedral" from 1983 features an unnamed central character who narrates the entire story in the first person. Literally, when the author used the word elephant as the title for his short story, he made me think of the narrator in the story as hardworking because elephants are hardworking creatures. An elephant bears heavy burdens, it suffers, and it never forgets. 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. Every character in the story appears to be reliant or dependent on the narrator for support and also appears to be struggling (just as the narrator is). In his short story titled simply ‘Elephant’, Raymond Carver focuses on the elephant both literally and figuratively. The title of ‘Elephant’ brings to mind the idiom ‘white elephant’ which basically means a valuable possession which its owner cannot dispose of and whose cost of upkeep exceeds its usefulness.

This particular short story shows the lengths people will go to in order to stave off the loneliness and depicts the immense suffering being lonely brings. In Elephant by Raymond Carver we have the theme of dependency, security, struggle, acceptance and letting go. Reading Questions. The narrator is standing outside Smitty’s and George, a work colleague of the narrator pulls up and offers the narrator a lift. High unemployment for He thinks he got out from a bad mood in the right way, but Carver strikes him at last. on Dec 01, 2008 2020. 2007. 1989. Put many American's finances in jeopardy. An analysis of the main themes in Raymond Carver's "Elephant". A comparison of three of Raymond Carver's short stories where the lack of hope in life is portrayed. 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. What is interesting about the narrator’s views of his mother and ex-wife is the fact that though he considers them greedy, he continues to send them money. AcaDemon — Literally, the narrator is assuming the role of the matriarch where his family members are expecting him to lead them through the hard times in their lives. The narrator’s brother (Billy) is looking for five hundred dollars from the narrator to help him while he looks for another job. https://www.academon.com/analytical-essay/raymond-carver-elephant-140500/, Copyright © 2020, "Elephant by Raymond Carver.". Lesson #5 “Elephant” (472) by Raymond Carver. Now the narrator appears to accept and embrace his role, understanding that there are more important things in life than money. Elephants rely on their family bonds in order to survive. McManus, Dermot.

I like your insight particularly with regard to the narrator getting into the car at the end of the story. There is also a sense of irony in the closing section of the story. You can get your custom paper from 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. Analysis of the title used in Raymond Carver’s Elephant. Sorry, but downloading is forbidden on this website.

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. Raymond Carver focused on the literal meaning of the elephant by having the narrator’s family members constantly look to him for support. This short story is an accurate portrayal of symbiotic relationships in a family.

We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. No longer does he view them as just people who want his money but he hopes that they are doing okay (his son, mother, daughter and brother). Historical Context Late 1980's/Early 1990's recession A stock collapse, although managed well by the government, lead to the weakening of the savings and loans industry. Required fields are marked *, Notify me of follow-up comments via e-mail. 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. In Elephant by Raymond Carver we have the theme of acceptance, struggle, security, letting go and 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. Dive deep into Sławomir Mrożek's The Elephant with extended analysis, commentary, and discussion our expert writers, Hi, my name is Jenn 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. A fine example of this dependency would be the narrator’s brother who continues to ask for money throughout the entire story. Due to recent legislative introductions, the website is currently unavailable in Australia.

This is evident in the first dream the narrator experiences where it was a flashback to when he was younger and his father was alive. Your email address will not be published. In the process of being a martyr, the narrator fails to see that he is being used by his family members. 2. 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. 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. We can relate to this in our daily lives as there are always people looking to use us for their own benefit. The paper discusses how "The Elephant" represents the idea that no matter how entrenched one may be in financial and material woes, one should never give in to a life of obsession and dependence. Thus, the narrator felt as if he was obliged to take on the role of his father, resulting in everyone having to depend on him financially.
In case you can’t find a sample example, our professional writers are ready to help you with writing Currently you have JavaScript disabled. This can be seen when he dreams about hitting his son in the car. Despite this the narrator tells George to drive the car as fast as he can. This dream is important for several reasons. In Elephant by Raymond Carver we have the theme of acceptance, struggle, security, letting go and dependency. I sense that Carver want to point at him as a good but not so clever man. The female unit of elephants has a leader called a matriarch where the entire herd of elephants rely on the matriarch to lead them. His brother asks him for a further $1000 and he continues to lend money to his daughter and his son, while still paying monthly payments to both his mother and his ex-wife. "Elephant." Money no longer being the driving factor in how he feels about them. That was rock bottom.’ By introducing the whiskey into the dream Carver may be highlighting a breaking-point for the narrator. How much the narrator has let go can be seen the following morning (after his dreams). He depends on people relying on him because he does it to feel wanted, in my opinion.

Even when he was frustrated and threatened to move to Australia, the ‘white elephants’ in his life remained. 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 What is also interesting about the narrator is the fact that he accepts his position in life. Get Your Custom Essay on, Analysis of the title used in Raymond Carver’s Elephant. Not only is there a sense of letting go (driving the car fast) but there is a sense of freedom now within the narrator. Even when he suggests to his family that he might move to Australia (to escape from his family’s financial demands) he soon realises that he will never do it and the fact that he remains at home highlights his acceptance of his role to help others. Throughout the story the narrator’s family become more dependent on him. All you need to do is fill out a short form and submit an order. Vintage Publishing. By continuing we’ll assume you’re on board with our cookie policy, The input space is limited by 250 symbols. It is as he is walking to work that the narrator starts to think about his family. He stands there with his arms level with his shoulders, mirroring his dream of him sitting on his father’s shoulders. For the narrator this is the worst thing that can happen to him, to drink again. 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. Receiving a gift of a white elephant is both a blessing and a curse. Indeed, I think his friend gives him a ride only to get money to pay his car. Elephant (1988) Raymond Carver Thank you! Bethea, Arthur F. "Raymond Carver's Inheritance fro Earnest Hemmingway's Literary Technique." 2.Why did the narrator go to Smitty’s and why did he get into the car of George, asking him to drive fast? As the story continues the reader also realises that Billy is not the only person who is dependent (or relying) on the narrator. His family members all look to him for financial help because of his stability in earning money. Carver, Raymond. Retrieved from https://graduateway.com/analysis-of-the-title-used-in-raymond-carvers-elephant/, This is just a sample. Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. Literally, when the author used the word elephant as the title for his short story, he made me think of the narrator in the story as hardworking because elephants are hardworking creatures. The idea of change within the narrator is further explored when the reader finds him outside Smitty’s café. Though it is not explicitly said, there is a sense that the narrator in some ways feels responsible for his family. People wouldn’t like having to think of their family as parasites living off them and thus, nobody really likes to mention it, so the issue is left unspoken.

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. An analysis of the main themes in Raymond Carver's "Elephant". 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). The Hemmingway Review. How about make it original at only $13.9/page? Web. I would also agree with you that the narrator is an easy touch who deep down is really searching for love. Elephant. Published 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. But when he called and said he couldn't make … 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.

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