Raymond Carver Neighbors

Neighbors

"Neighbors is a short story written by Raymond Carver in 1988. It is from the collection of short stories "Short cuts".

The short story is in brief about the married couple Bill and Arlene Miller, who lives opposite the married couple Harriet and Jim stone. Bill and Arlene constantly see themselves in the light of the Stones' happy life. Bill is a bookkeeper and Arlene is a secretary, while Jim is a salesman for a machine-parts firm. In the story the Stones are going on a business trip combined with a family trip. Bill and Arlene are set to look after the Stones' apartment, feeding the cat, Kitty, and water their plants. In the Stones' absence Bill and Arlene show themselves from a side you normally don't experience from people - that is to say the side that shows when you are alone with yourself with the minds curiosity. The story takes place over the course of 3 days. We have an objective third party storyteller and the entire story is written in the past with a few dialogs here and there. It is chronological and we don't experience any flashbacks or flashforwards. The language isn't advanced, the sentences aren't exactly long and there aren't any complicated words. That is probably due to the fact that the story takes place in an everyday life, in an everyday life environment and also in a very normal situation (it must be said to be normal to feed the cat and water the plants, when the neighbors are away). To sum up it is not a demanding text in terms of the length or the difficulty. We don't know where the story takes place or when it takes place. We don't even know how old our main characters are. Is it even necessary? Raymond Carver gets in stories a hold on themes like alcoholism, poverty, divorce and misfortune that could be taking place anywhere in the world (although people from the west relate more to his stories). '

We have a short precise presentation of the two people Bill and Arlene, but they could for that matter had been anybody. They don't stand out in any way and you don't seem to get an inner connection with them through the story due to its very minimalistic form. The story is very contemporary and modern, which means that we don't need any additional background information to read and understand "Neighbors".

The fact that Carver leaves most of it up to the fantasy gives the reader place to think. That is what characterizes this minimalistic way of writing and it's the very thing that gives place for imagining.

The interesting thing in the story however isn't the composition or the way of writing. The story hungers to be studied in depth. In "Neighbors" Carver gets a hold on a very underlying level of the human; that is so to say the way we are when no one else is around...

When Bill for the first time walks over to feed Kitty he acts completely disrespectfully towards the Stones. He lays some of Harriet's prescription pills down in his pocket and he merrily drinks some of their whisky. When he returns home he gets the feeling of having left something back. He has this feeling because he knows it is wrong to sneak around in other people's apartment and behave like it is one's own - he is therefore nervous for his action that might be tracked back to him. He omits telling his wife about it, but the question is also if there really is anything to tell? He after all didn't do anything over there... For someone who isn't satisfied with his own life it can be incredibly exciting to step into someone else's shoes... it turns out. Bill has after the Stones' departure psychologically taken over the role as Jim and that turns him on a lot: When he meets Arlene he suggests that they go to bed. You clearly sense that it isn't everyday occurrence when Carver clearly describes the awkwardness in his movements and that also being after Arlene's comment "Good God, Bill...(Page 15)." His exploration in another man's life, a man he looks up to, could also be a very sexual fantasy. His exploration of the apartment and the Stones' lives opens up, not only for his sexual lust, but also for his will to test new and maybe other hidden secrets. On the bottom of page 17 he tries on some of Harriet's clothes and lingerie. I wouldn't say that that would make him homosexual, but I think a part of him has always been curious about it and now he finally gets the chance to explore it in secret. You don't hear until the ending that Arlene is even in the apartment. But there is some indications because Bill can't seem to remember when the Stones are coming home, which I believe you would if you were the only one going to the Stones' apartment once a day.

Already on page 16 you sense that Arlene begins to suspect something is going on. When Bill (again) has gone over to 'feed' the cat she comes and knocks on the door. Of course it is natural for her to get him after so long time, but I also think that she knows what is going on, because she is doing it herself. Besides they make love again that night. So she is probably also excited after their private projects in the apartment opposite theirs. It is kind of funny that they're both excited about the same thing, just without admitting it. In this situation they go behind each other's backs to do the same thing. You might be close but there are certain things that you keep to yourself. The first time we actually hear about Arlene walking over to the other apartment is on page 18 the last section. You can sense on the mood that everything has been different those past days. It hasn't only been about feeding cats or watering plants...

"They looked at each other shyly and smiled."

Arlene who wants to go over to the apartment also does her part to keep Bill away

"Make yourself comfortable.... Read the paper or something"

Bill is just as curious as his wife and wants to know what she is doing over there. When he comes over to here he is suspicious about her and studies her. Arlene gets for the first time communicated her thoughts to her husband:

"It is funny... to go in someone's place like that."

More she does not say. Bill gets his suspicion confirmed when

"He noticed white lint clinging to the back of her sweater... (Page 18 the bottom)."

The Stones have a "fluffy white bedspread... (Page 16 the first section)" and you indirectly