Broken Refrigerator, Broken Relationship

Preservation

I’m beginning to see the different messages that Carver wants to transmit in his short stories. This short story in particular has caught my attention more than the others. I’ve been in a similar situation.

Carver explains how this couple´s refrigerator broke, but without actually saying it. He just explains the different sensations Sandy felt when she opened the refrigerator. “But when she opened the door, warm, boxed-in air came out at her… ice cream from the freezer had melted and run down into the left over fish sticks and cole slaw… An awful smell puffed out at her that made her want to gag.” (Pg. 39) I found it very interesting that I could imagine this scene perfectly. This brought back memories of the time my grandmother’s refrigerator had broken. I could almost smell the rotten meat when I was reading this.

Another aspect of this short story that caught my eye was the description of Sandy’s husband lying in the sofa for months. This image brought back another set of memories concerning the time I got really sick during summer vacations. I was bed ridden for about two weeks and all that time I was thinking about all the things I was missing out. I wondered how this guy could stay inside his house for a month without wanting to shoot himself. Even Sandy has the same kind of thoughts. “My God, a person couldn’t live the whole rest of his life in bed, or else on the sofa.” (Pg. 38)

Regarding the last few paragraphs of the story, I didn’t understand the meaning of the puddles of water on that table and on the floor. “She knew she’d never again in her life see anything so unusual.” (Pg. 46) Why was this so unusual? It’s not like they were in some kind of drought and lived in the Sahara.