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- Written-1983
- Raymond Carver
- Lifespan- (May 25, 1938 – August 2, 1988)
- Alcoholic
- Died- Sever liver problems
- Reinvented- Short stories in America
Authors Views of Life
First begins out as an extreme alcoholic. J.P. is left with some hope at the end (Roxy Visiting, Staying at Frank Martins), Narrator is left with no hope (Wife won’t pick up, Jack London books.. “To build a fire”- Fire gets going to stop from freezing. A branchful of snow drops on it.
(Yellow)
Characters
Roxy (the young woman who had extra kisses)
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Tiny ( A big fat electrician who had a seizure)
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Frank Martin( short and heavy set, stands like a prize fighter smoking his cigar)
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Nar rator (still hoped to speak with his girlfriend and wife but still had no luck)
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"Where I’m Calling From"
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It started at Frank Martin’s rehab center. Joe Penny other wise know as J.P. was a drunk like all the rest. J.P. has a case of the shakes. A big fat electrician named Tiny had a seizure just before he would get of that center and join his wife on New Years Eve. Tiny had nicked himself in the chin with a razor and J.P. said, “Just about everybody at Frank Martin’s has nicks on his face.” Tiny had his seizure during breakfast and “One of the guys put his fingers inside Tiny’s mouth and tried to hold his tongue.”J.P. was interested and wanted to know if he felt his ticker skip a beat. Almost like if he to wanted to get ready for it. The narrator then sits on the porch with J.P while smoking cigarettes and listening to J.P. talk. J.P. had talked about how h e fell into a well on the farm he grew up on. He suffered all kinds of terror,
“Hollering for help, waiting, and then hollering some more.” Way up at the top he could see a little circle of blue and wondered if things might fall into his hair. Nothing fell and nothing closed that little circle of blue
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Themes
Alcoholism- In that it’s was taking over J.P’s life as well as the narrators. He was abusing his wife and can never be satisfied with only one drink. This made Fear the unknown, wondering if he was ever going to end up like Tiny. Alcoholism led to isolation. With the alcohol there was no hope but without there was.Fear and depression- When J.P Is drunk he returns to the bottom of that well. He is isolated from the world waiting for someone to save him. He has no control of his life at the point, fearing of what can happen next. Fear connected to alcohol and isolation because when your scared you might resort to drinking and when you drink your isolated but the alcohol makes it seem like your not.
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Isolation- Is evident every time J.P drinks. He isolates himself from the loved ones around him. Isolation connects to alcohol and fear. You resort to drinking when you isolated which leaves you in fear.
Love/friendship- J.P.’s love for Roxy was at first extremely passionate. He was in love the first time they met. Although they
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Hope-That little circle of blue signified hope. Hope that J.P would return back to the world from the bottom of that well. Alcohol was what drove him down there, where he was isolated and full of fear. Still nothing fell on him which meant there was still a chance to survive, still a chance at Frank Martin’s to get better.
?????Questions?????
Why did the narrator’s wife or girlfriend never call back?
Why did the Father and brother in law come back to help J.P. after what he did to Roxy?
Why did Roxy quit being a chimney sweep while J.P. didn’t?
Why did Roxy come to visit J.P, just a few days later?
Reader Response
I liked this story because it compared and contrasted the life of J.P. and the narrator. It showed the similarities of the times when they would both be drink. It contrasted the way J.P. still had hope while the narrator didn’t. J.P.’s wife comes to visit and the narrator’s doesn’t. This is the second time for the narrator in Frank Martin’s, while only the first time for J.P. and he was already becoming a changed man. The narrator still thinks about drinks and reminisces on the time in high school when he read “To build a fire” by Jack London.
Rated?
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