What We Talk About When We Talk About Love
English 1220
The story “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love” by Raymond Carver is about four friends who are the main characters. They all gather and talk about life. Mel McGinnis, who is a cardiologist, has two children an ex wife whom he hates. Than there is Terri who is Mel’s wife; she used to live with an abusive boyfriend who tried to kill her before killing himself. Than there is Nick who is Laura’s husband, he doesn’t talk much about himself; his wife Laura is a legal secretary. The author was trying to point out that everyone has a different perspective of love For example Terri thought that her abusive boyfriend loved her even though he abused her, but Mel didn’t think so. They tell each other a story trying to show what true love means. The author also tries to point out that although we can’t easily define love or always understand love, these four characters agree that we know it when we see it or feel it. In the story the author the uses the bright sun as a symbol at beginning and gone at the end, to represent all four characters life for example as the sun disappears the conversation ends. After reading the short story I asked myself what my perspective of love is? I define love as romantic passion of feeling. And love for me is a choice, a decision we make. When we choose to love we decide to look at the other person in a positive light and we back up those thoughts with positive actions. To love someone is