“I Could See the Smallest Things,” written by Raymond Carver, is concise, but it has a powerful effect on readers. The author masterfully attracts attention, forcing them to search for clues about what is happening in the characters’ lives. The story’s plot is constructed around Nancy’s night walk, who hears how a gate in the yard opened; she cannot wake her husband and wants to close them. On the street, she meets the neighbor Sam who shows how he fights with slugs in the garden. Sam used to be Nancy’s husband’s friend and says that he wants to reconcile with him. The woman finishes a conversation and, forgetting to close the gate, goes to sleep. Even though the story may seem uneventful, its analysis reveals many relevant and frightening themes.
All these events are told in the first person from Nancy’s position. Sentences are short; they create the feeling that Nancy is anxious and sad. Readers can wander from the first lines about why the protagonist is awake: “I was in bed when I heard the gate. I listened carefully. I didn’t hear anything else. But I heard that.” (Carver 1). The woman is uptight, cannot fall asleep, and listens carefully to what happens around her.
There are three characters in the story – Nancy, her husband Cliff, and neighbor Sam. Cliff sleeps and nothing else – from Nancy’s memories, readers can assume that he is an alcoholic. Perhaps concerned about this problem, a woman is tormented by the fact that she can do nothing. Sam – their neighbor, is the most active – he fights pests in the garden and wants to make peace with a friend. The setting is as static as the characters – Nancy listed everything she saw around and noted no movement. This characteristic deepens the atmosphere of the story and attracts attention – the characters seem to be frozen.
The author introduces several recurring symbols – open gates, built fences, slugs, and the fight against them. Considering the story’s shortness, many details can be interpreted as symbols, and this feature highlights the work. Thus, through the form and structure of the story, the symbols in it, and not through the content, readers see the themes of loneliness, fear, and attempts to control life. All three characters found different ways to fight a frozen routine – anxiety, constant pest-fighting, or alcohol. In this way, they create the illusion of control, and fill existence.
Reference
Carver, Raymond. “I Could See The Smallest Things”. n.d. Web.