Carver and Conflation
Humans are never completely satisfied. They always manage to find something about themselves-their looks, their job, their social status-that is substandard. The discontent with one’s self often arises when he compares himself to another. The comparison leads to envy or jealousy and even a want to be the other person. Thus is the case of Bill and Arlene Miller in Robert Carver’s short story “Neighbors.” The Millers are a middle class couple not “completely satisfied” with their mundane life, especially when they constantly compare it to that of their neighbors Jim and Harriet Stone. Carver effectively expresses his theme of man’s incapability for total satisfaction by utilizing the paradox that makes a theme what it is. Carver conflates the identifiable images of the Millers and the Stones with a unique and eerie exaggeration of what people do when house-sitting for their neighbors. At first glance, the Millers and the Stones are “normal.” Carver introduces, as well as compares, the couples as follows: Bill and Arlene Miller were a happy c
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 727
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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