What We Talk About When We Talk About Love

The narration’s deceptively simple style heightens the story’s ambiguity. The sparsity follows Ernest Hemingway’s “iceberg theory,” where little detail is given, and most of the story lies below the water level to accentuate its deeper meaning. What elements are omitted from the story, and why did Carver choose to leave them out?

What is Ed’s role in the narrative, and how is his previous relationship with Terri central to the story’s themes?

Nick is the only character in the story not to specifically talk about love, though he does physically connect with Laura. What are his true feelings toward her? Cite examples from the text to support your answer.

When Carver wrote the story, he had given up alcohol for three years and said that it made him prouder than anything else he had done in his life. Trace the motif of drinking in the story, considering carefully who picks up the bottle, who drinks, how they react, etc. Does this pinpoint anything useful about the characters? Do you think the characters reveal their true selves when they get drunk?

Is Nick a reliable or unreliable narrator? Cite examples from the text to support your answer.

There is a lot of violent imagery in the story. Pick one or two sections and discuss the reasons why Carver might have included these graphic elements. Think about how this might relate to the setting of the story.

Look at the different interpretations that we get about love in the story. Write them down and decide which one you think is closest to your own views.

The longest anecdote is the one when Mel talks about the road accident. Divide this into sections, noting when Mel is interrupted and why, and consider the different emotions that Mel goes through when talking about the teenage driver, the elderly couple, and his own responses.