Dirty Realism: A Thematic Study Of Raymond Carver’s Short Stories

Raymond Carver (1938-1988) is an American short-story writer and poet. He iscalled “father of minimalism” for his plain language and objective narration. He madea great contribution to the revival of American short stories in the1970s and1980s.Most of Carver’s stories are concerned about the life of the lower class in the latetwenties century. In his works, he describes the problems people face: poverty,unemployment, betrayal, failed marriage and so on. Readers can experience the lossand depression in Carver’s works. Carver once said he was a member of the poor, sohe had pity for them, for they were his compatriot. It is his own experience that makesCarver’s works fully reflect the real life. For a long time, researchers pay muchattention to Carver’s writing style, minimalism. There is a lack of studies on thetheme of Carver’s works. This thesis studies his short stories, introduces dirtyrealism’s genealogy, and reveals the theme of Carver’s works.This thesis focuses on Carver’s two short stories: What Do You Do in SanFrancisco? and The Bath. An exploration of the former’s theme acquaints readerswith a real American middle and lower class. The Bath serves as a good example ofCarver’s minimalism. Although Carver’s minimalism inherits from Hemingway andChekhov, he is different from them and makes his unique contribution to Americanliterature.