#34 The Pheasant (1982) Raymond Carver
I’m back to for another Carver story. This time it’s a couple driving back from a
weekend getaway, a failed attempt for the struggling pair to stay
together. Both parties decide that the
relationship is over in their heads before the breakup occurs violently in a
diner parking lot in front of amused onlookers.
Once her internal struggle comes to the inevitable
conclusion, she’s at peace and falls asleep.
As he mulls his future, he intentionally hits a pheasant that flies too
close to their speeding car. Of course
the pheasant represents their relationship and his actions probably mean he
self-sabotaged that relationship.
The language contains ample mentions of renewal, change,
etc. Sentences like “The sun was out
now, the clouds had broken up,” are not so subtle allusions about their
relationship. As does: “it looked as if an upheaval had taken place”
Not a bad quick look at a tough moment of their lives. I didn’t get the end at all. I’m not sure what the onlookers added to the
story or why it was important to hear their thoughts. That made for a weird taste at the end.
Notable Passage: “He felt as if they were doing a scene and
this was the fifth or sixth take. But it still wasn’t clear what was going to
happen next.”
cool, thanks
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