Raymond Carver and Postmodernism

Raymond Carver's collection of short stories, What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, proves to be a paradigm of postmodernism, by way of the subtext of the composition. Postmodernism is a movement that can be divided into several identifiable aspects. In postmodernist works, there is typically a questioning of official stories or received narratives by which we understand our history, including the idea that history is progressive or that we are becoming more rational and civilized. One manner of accomplishing this is via the replacement of the real by the image. Additionally in the postmodern, there is a calling of attention to the margins of literature and previously ignored voices, allowing the audience to witness the complexity of human identity. Lastly, in postmodernist works, there is often the development of hybrid forms and styles. Caver is a writer of unique sensitivity who proves to be a postmodernist through his subtle interrogation of historical narratives, the treatment of the image as reality, and the examination of the condition of humanity.