Chimney Sweeping
While staying at Frank Martin’s rehab facility, the narrator of “Where I’m Calling From” meets a man named JB. JB has recently been dropped off at the facility by his father and brother in-law, as his relationship with his wife grew increasingly violent. As the narrator talks to him, JB reveals both his life story, and the details of his marriage. He met his wife, Roxy, when she came to clean his chimney. JB was impressed by her ability and bravery, and went to go join her on several jobs until they eventually married. The act of chimney sweeping is portrayed as both an archaic task, like something out of a Dickens novel, but also incredibly meticulous work. It is bound with conventions, such as kissing a man after the job for good luck. It is also very grueling work, as evidenced by the black soot that cover their clothing. While Roxy is able to master the trade, JB cannot handle his drinking habits, and ends up in Frank Martin’ rehab facility to sober up.
Alcoholism
As he suffered from drinking problems of his own, Carver works alcohol abuse into many of the collection’s stories. There is JB at Frank Martin’s rehabilitation center in “Where I’m Calling From,” Ralph in “Will You be Quiet, Please?” who gets drunk when he believes his wife has been unfaithful to him, or Wes in “Chef’s House” who reunites with his wife at a house on the ocean while sobering up. Throughout Carver’s writing it is very apparent that he understands the effects, and damages, of alcoholism. There is physical and emotional abuse, and financial ruin. Carver connects various characters, all different in background, through the common thread of alcohol dependency. In this way, he suggests that it is a universal disease, which can affect men and women, rich and poor. Yet Carver also gestures towards the subcutaneous, societal, attitudes towards drinking. Even if characters do not have an outright addiction, it is still socially acceptable to consume alcohol, even as Carver paints how damaging it can be. For example, the characters in “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love” drink excessively, though nobody characterizes it as an addiction. By portraying alcohol from numerous angles, Carver reveals how divisive, yet culturally-embedded alcohol is in America.
Fishing
Two stories in the collection, “The Third Thing That Killed My Father” and “So Much Water So Close to Home” directly deal with the sport of fishing. In “The Third Thing that Killed My Father” revolves around the story of Dummy. As his name suggests Dummy is not very intelligent, and it is suggested that his wife is engaging in extramarital affairs. He lives on the edge of town, and has a fishing pond. He fills the pond with bass, and grows obsessed with maintaining the pond. He puts an electric fence around it to ward off outsiders. Eventually a flood occurs, and Dummy loses everything. Dummy is devastated, and kills both his wife and himself. In “So Much Water So Close to Home” a group of friends discover a body while in the woods on a fishing trip. It is bloated and water-logged. Instead of reporting the body to the proper authorities, the men continue fishing. Upon returning home, the wife of one of the fisherman, Claire, is deeply troubled that her husband left the body for several days. The event causes considerable strain in their marriage. Carver portrays fishing in a different light than the traditional view of fishing as hobby. He suggests it is an activity that is tied to man’s vanity and need for control, though it always falls short.
Domestic Abuse
Often tied to the presence of alcohol, much of Carver’s writing involves domestic abuse. There is Stuart, who makes unwanted sexual advances against his wife in “So Much Water so Close to Home,” Burt who stalks his estranged wife, Vera, in “A Serious Talk,” and Terri who recounts a previous, abusive relationship in “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love.” Carver writes about these very disturbing happenings in his famous stark style. Instead of being societal outliers, domestic abuse is prevalent throughout, and often at the very center, of his work. He does not shy away from each horrible detail, as though suggesting that everyone should be more frank about the occurrence of domestic abuse.
The Cathedral
“Cathedral” is perhaps Carver’s most celebrated story. It follows an unnamed narrator, his wife, and her friend, Robert, who is coming to stay at their house. Robert is blind and has recently lost his wife. The narrator is vocally unhappy about Robert coming to stay with them. He cannot conceptualize blindness, or the character of someone who is blind. He is uneasy when Robert arrives, though they slowly relax into the evening. They begin to watch television after smoking marijuana late at night, and the wife falls asleep. Left alone, the man and Robert begin to bond. A documentary program about Cathedrals in Europe comes on the television, and Robert asks what they look like. The story ends with the man holding Robert’s hand as they trace a cathedral onto paper. The incredibly moving imagery speaks to the possibility of connection between people of very different circumstances. Just as cathedrals are removed from the American landscape, so are the lives of Robert and the man; however, with patience and an open mind, those gaps can be bridged.
Vitamins
The story “Vitamins” follows a woman, Patti, as she begins selling vitamins door-to-door. The business is very tough, and Patti is not immediately successful. Still, she wants the job for a sense of purpose and pride. Patti begins have recurring dreams about vitamins, and fears that her life is becoming centered around the vitamins. As the story ends, she has a night terror and runs into the bathroom believing she has overslept and will miss her shift selling the vitamins. In the panic, all the vitamins fall from the medicine cabinet. The story employs vitamins as a metaphor for the difficulty women experience in the workplace. Many people scoff at the vitamins, even Patti’s husband, and do not believe that they are effective. Still Patti perseveres and asserts her right to have a job for herself.
