Raymond Carver's "Distance" Analysis Essay Example

In Raymond Carver's short story, “distance”, “an eighteen-year-old boy” and his seventeen-year-old wife get into a disagreement over their “sick” baby, ultimately creating a moment of “distance” in their relationship. As their disagreement intensifies in their apartment now illuminated by a “burning” light. With Carver's distribution of lighting, he illustrates how people often decide to push away their problems until facing their reality becomes inevitable.

While getting ready for bed, the boy “turn[s] off the lamp”, attempting to turn off a part of his parental roles for the night. Soon after he is abruptly awakened to the “light…on in the living room” and by the loud cries of his ‘three-month-old.” Though he ignores the wails, refusing to let go apart of his adolescence, as he begins to fall asleep. Moments later, the boy “opens his eyes” as the living room light begins “burning.” He hears the cries of his baby fill the space in the apartment. Being reminded once again, that he no longer has the opportunity to be a  "wild dreamer" as he enters fatherhood. Unable to ignore the cries and burnt-out light, the boy forces himself to turn “on the lamp”, making his way to console his weeping baby. However, due to the couple's naivety in parenthood, the baby's cries are never effectively resolved. Ultimately, resulting in the couple’s disagreement, as the light continues to burn, illustrating their inability to come to a resolution. As tensions grow, the boy now ignores his wife as he starts to head out of their home, with the “light” never being turned off.

Following the couple's argument, as a means of escaping his relationship conflict, the boy sets out toward Carl Sutherland's ( a friend of the boy's deceased father's) house. As he pulls onto the curb”, the “porchlight” shines up the home, as Sutherland decides to give new “light” to the boy's current situation. Regardless, Sutherland “turns off all the lights” when their conversation ends, finally forcing the boy to drive off and confront his ignored contradictions once again.