For homework tonight, read Raymond Carver’s essay “My Father’s Life,” which includes the poem “Photograph of My Father in His Twenty Second Year.” Then answer the following prompt:
What themes does Carver announce in these pieces? How does he expand our understanding of American culture?What parts of each piece of writing (essay and poem) communicate most clearly to you? Just begin with a short quote and then tell how that quote means something to you.
Create about 300 words worth of writing. Your audience is your peer group and the BC community. Pay attention to grammar and spelling, but what’s most important is the quality of your ideas and the sincerity of your response.
This will count as part of your Low Stakes Writing grade, as a pass/fail grade. No late work, no excuses.
I believe the centralizing theme of "My Father's Life" by Raymond Carver is that of a father/son relationship. Throughout the text you can see Carver's father in two different ways. One, you can see a hard working man who cares more about others than himself in his ambitions. Or you can see a drunk that enjoyed the company of other women and often left his family as he traveled from town to town. Carver was exposed to many scandalous components of his parent's relationship. He witnessed his mother locks out and knocks out his drunk father. Another time his mother describes to him how "Some floozy" left a handkerchief and lipstick in the car. Carver also seemed to be embarrassed of his parents and his life, as he describes how he told his third grade teacher, who was taking him home, that his neighbor's house was his. Overall though I believe Carver looked past his father's imperfections and saw the hard worker that cared for others. He was always there for his father, especially during the period in which he was sick, after both his parents, with whom he cared for, died. He tried helping him in the mill, and even visited him after he had his first child. Carver was not there for his father during the last part of his life though. He did not visit or send him any of his writing that he said he would because "he wasn't a reader." Carver said he didn't even cry until the afternoon after the funeral, and today all he can remember is "that I heard our name used a lot that afternoon, my dad's name and mine." The part in the poem that says "Father, I love you,yet how can I say thank you, I who can't hold my liquor either and don't even know the places to fish," explains a lot. In this last part of the poem, Carver is explaining how his father did not lead by guidance, nor did he leave behind with him any knowledge that he could learn and branch off from. Maybe this is why he chose not to visit, and why he chooses not to remember.
ReplyDelete"My Father's Life" teaches a lot of the ambitions of men in the early 20th century, as they traveled west to find jobs. It also gives us the incite of a family at the time from a first person perspective. How can you better expand your knowledge on American culture?
Raymond Carver, Jr. described his family when he grew up to when his father had passed away. His family seems like what the typical American family can relate to now a days. Raymond's father worked a job in a mill and made enough to put food on the table and live descent. Raymond's father spent money for no reason on things that he didnt need, so he tended to blow money witch they could have saved for things. Like many families in the U.S. he talked about the problems in his family. His dad drank heavily after work and because of this caused problems between his parents. He would get drunk and be a pain to try to deal with in the house. When Raymond grew up he then realized that he was having the same family problems and drinking issues with his family, just like his father had. After his father had passed he then wrote a poem about him and his dad and how they relate to each other.
ReplyDeleteI think that the theme that is being portrayed here is that his dad works hard to try to make money and keep it but, keeps doing for others and then he just drinks whiskey to escape his problems that he has. One way that he expands our knowledge of American Culture is showing that he is a man that is trying to take care of his family by traveling and looking for work. It also shows that men with overwhelming problems in their life look to alcohol as their escape from any reoccurring issues. The poem is clearer to me because after you read it a couple of times you start to see what he is talking about. In my opinion its saying that his father didn’t really know what to do but he still wanted to be bold. He wore what could be considered normal clothing jeans and a flannel shirt and it said that he was leaning against a 1934 Ford which is probably a truck because most men in America if trying to be bold they want a big truck. He wore his hat tilted I guess to show that he was a man trying to make something of himself for his family to show that he wasn’t a softy as some would put. Then he goes on to say that he loves his father but he couldn’t thank him which in my opinion meant that he didn’t spend of time with him as a child. He said he didn’t even know the places to fish which is a real dead giveaway because he said that his father liked fishing, so by him saying he doesn’t know where to fish it is just going to show that he didn’t spend much fishing time with him as a child.
ReplyDeleteThe theme of tis story is a complex but beautiful relationship between father and son. Raymond at first describes his father being a very hard worker who is trying to be there for his wife and son. Raymond Jr. experiences his father go down hill and slowly builds his way back up to the top. Raymond has seen his father drunk several of times, but you can see that Raymond Jr. still loves his dad and looks past his faults. Also Raymond Jr. mother would tell him that his father is cheating with a "floozy" (as mentioned above) and that she would have to dip his hand in hot water while he was sleeping. So that Raymond would talk in his sleep. How does that work? Anyways after experiencing his mom knocking him and locking him out. Raymond Jr. was still by his side at the factory and when he was very ill in the hospital. After his father recovered Raymond kinda avoided talking to his dad for sometime. Like he said he had a family of his own now and Raymond Jr. didn't think his father would be interested in his writing. After his father died Raymond Jr. started to feel guilt and started to develop his father drinking habits. "Raymond, these people kept saying in their beautiful voices out of my childhood. Raymond." It shows that he really misses his dad; he just doesn't know how to express his emotions. This is why he wrote this story, so he can remember all of these memories, and feel closer to his dead father. His father going from job to job describes the American culture. Trying to find the best job for you and your family. Also when you get knocked down just like Raymond was. You have to be able to get up, dust yourself off, and work your way back to the top.
ReplyDeleteA theme of "My Father's Life" could be one of a hard working, but troubled father and a young child watching and learning from his fathers actions and how the son never quits loving his father. Through out the story you can tell and see that Raymnond, the father, was trying the best that he could to provide for his family and have the best for them, but kept falling into his temptations with other women and his immense love of liqour. Younger Raymond saw that his father was a hard worker and truely wanted to be successful, but just couldn't and lost money and was never able to pay off debts which embarassed young Raymond to the point that he got his teacher to drop him off at his neighbor's house pretending that it was his because of being so embarassed about being the last house in the neighborood with a toilet outside. Though this happened younger Raymond wasn't mad at his father. For how he could he get mad at his father even if he didn't fully understand it all? He was trapped in a world of hard labor, alcoholism, and debt which was taking a toll on his body mentally and physically. As his father traveled from town to town working in saw mills I think that you can see young Raymond starting to understand more of his fathers troubles. Even though his father cheated on his wife and wasn't a good roll model for Raymond Jr., they still loved him so much, though Raymond might not have thought this at the time, they left there place in Yakima and left for there father in Chester to help take care of him when he becae very ill. You can see that all the stuff that his father put him through so much hardships he always made it a priority to see his father. As you read at the end of the story when young Raymond is explaining of how proud of his father he is, by saying that he wish that he could have seen his father for one last time and told him that he was proud that he was working his way back up, how he cried at his funeral, and even kept his father's pictures up on the walls of his liing spaces. In American culture and boy who went through this would most likely resent his father and may not even want to be involed with him. Also another look at American culture is the hard laboring, cheating, drunk hasband/father, which you would typiaclly see in many movies in, or about the early to mid 1900s when a great deal of men were just like young Raymand's father. Dealing with the father's drunken wonderness communicates with me well because of a cousin I had did pretty much the samething as Raymond's father. My cousin left his mother, went out on his own and went from hard laboring job to hard laboring job, falling into tempations, and then finally reapperied in our lives with a good girl friend who he would soon be marrying, and even held down a good job. Even though he left my family in never stopped loving him. He would soon die from all of the physical punishment he put on his body, he died witha better reputation with my family just how Raymond's father did.
ReplyDeleteCarver announces a few themes in this story, but the ones that "popped" out the most were money and family. The essay got me to think how fortunate I am to have parents to pay for everything and parents that making good living. I cannot relate to the essay very well because Carver and I don't have very much in common, at least from what I can tell in the essay. For example "We drove the oldest car in town" said Carver's mother, and it just gives you an idea about how they can be happy with items that are not up to par with most people and we complain about a scratches on our cars. One part that I can sort of relate to is Carver hating to be called Junior. My cousin is the same way. His name is Jerry and so is his father's so there is a similar thing that happened in my family as the family in the story. In the story carver mentions that his dad searched to steady jobs that paid good, but in that time they were hard to find. Although times are different from now to then, but similarly today young people have a hard time finding out what they want to do with their life. This is one thing I can relate to. When my peers and I graduate High School, and hopefully college, we will have to find a job that we like and that we can do for a reasonable payment. This is what Carver's dad wanted to do, but he didn't have the education to do the thing we will hopefully be able to do. This is what I got out of the story and i hope to those of you reading this got some of the same thoughts as me.
ReplyDeleteCarver's theme overall is the beautiful realationship between father and son. Carver saw his dad at his best and at his worst. As Carver grows his father changes as well. He becomes a drinker, cheats on his wife, and eventually loses his mind. During these moments in his dads life it seems like Carver loses his love for his father. the poem he writes about the photo of his father show how he truly loved his father and everything that he was. A quote that stuck mostly to me had to be "Father I love you,yet how can I say thank you, I who can't hold my liquor either and don't even know the places to fish." This quote is basically praising his father he is saying how could he ever measure up to his father. Carver clearly looked upon his father as a great man even though he didn't have a lot he was still proud of his father and had much respect for him.Encompassing this is a great example of American culture and that is family and how the man did everything to provide for them. Carvers dad was a family man he moved from area to area and seeked employment to provide the people he cared for the most. It seemed as if Carvers father was working towards the American dream.The house with a fence and a car, carver's father was doing everything he could to make this happen. Even though he didn't make this happen he still provided for his family which in American culture is like the duty of the mane in house. This story is a praise to the American man how he worked hard and even when faced with difficult times would persevere. A true hard working American provides for his family and works as much as he can to do so this is a piece of America's great cultural aspects shown through this story.
ReplyDeleteA theme that Carver announces in these pieces is respect. He looks up to his father, he mentions how his dad wouldn’t use his money for himself, but he would spend it on others. Even though Carver talks about his dad being a drunk, he never talks badly about his dad. When Carver mentions that his mom knocked his dad out with a colander for being drunk, Carver doesn’t talk about how embarrassed he was because of his dad being a drunk, instead he seems to admire that the father got hit with a colander. Even when carver has drinking problems his opinion of his father doesn’t seem to change, he admires him. Another theme could be how people handle being with their parents after they have their own family. Carver’s dad moved his parents to Yakima when he had the money to do so, and he didn’t leave until both his parents were dead, but Carver left his dad to go back to Yakima and be closer to his wife. After Carver had his family, he didn’t keep track of his dad much anymore, so they both handled that differently. “Father, I love you yet how can I say thank you, I who can’t hold my liquor either and don’t even know the places to fish,” is the piece of writing that communicated to me the most. It is the only time in the story where he antagonizes his father. Carver blames his dad for two things. The first was that he wasn’t taught better and fell to the same mistakes he did and that he didn’t know where to fish. I believe that Carver’s reference to fishing symbolizes that he wishes his father had spent more time with him. Maybe do something together instead of watching his drunken father make a spectacle of himself. “During those years I was trying to raise my own family and earn a living. But, from one thing and another, we found ourselves having to move a lot. I couldn’t keep track of what was going down in my dad’s life,” and, “my dad was still locked up when my wife went into this same hospital, just one floor down, to have our first baby. After she had delivered, I went upstairs to give my dad the news,” both communicated clearly to me. What these two passages are basically saying is that he prioritized his wife and his family over his father and his well being. In the story it doesn’t say whether he visited his dad before his wife went into labor, even though they did go to the same hospital, it only says that he went up a floor to inform his dad he had a kid. The second quote also shows Carver prioritizing his family over his dad, he didn’t even call to check and see if his father was ok, he just uses his family as an excuse to not check up on him.
ReplyDeletei have tried to publish this numerous times and i will not type a new three hundred words for the third time sorry for the inconveniance
ReplyDeletePatrick, just try to prepare something for tomorrow, even if it's just a few bullet points. That way I can still give you credit.
DeleteHard work is a theme in "My Father's Life" by Raymond Carver. During the short story Carver summerizes his childhood and how hard it was to survive back during the great deppression whcih his father and his family had to live through. Through his fathers hard work and skill, he was able to live a decent standard of living. Unlike what his father and his family did years before in Arkansas. Also through his fathers work ethic he was able to bring his whole family up to live in oregeon with them. As his father grew older he began to have drinking and health problems which effected both his work and family life. He was able to overcome this and start to work again and regain his family towards the end of his life. "When Raymond was sick" is the time that Carvers mother called when his father was in the hospital. This quote relates to me because i have been through family deaths and some people refer to times as what his mother did.
ReplyDeleteThe main theme in "My Father's Life" is the relationship between a working class father and son. Raymond Carver worked throughout his whole life to provide for his family in whatever way possible. He moves away and does whatever is necessary to put food on the table. this is shown in the way Jr. talks about his father and the way he describes his relationship and admiration for him. He sees that his father overcomes his "sickness" to go back and work briefly. Even through the tough time Jr. still respects his father and you can see that the father/son relationship is a key point to his story.
ReplyDeleteUse your real name from now on, Levi.
Delete“My Father’s Life” is a powerful story in which Raymond Carver talks about his father’s roller coaster life, and how he was affected by his hard work and guidance. The main themes I got out of reading this story were hard work pays off, and a close relationship with your family means a lot. Carver’s father grew up through the great depression, so nothing in his life came easy. He moved west in his earlier years to find a decent job with quality pay, but it didn’t come easy. His father was a heavy drinker and he never really found a steady job. After years of wear and tear, his body began to deteriorate. He was very sick and had a hard time doing the things that he used to do. During those hard times, Carver became closer to his father, and realized how hard he had worked and respected what he had done for so many years. Carver realized how great his father was when he had his first child. From that point on he cherished his relationship with his father, and knew that he had to make something of himself just like his father had done. I believe that is what this story is all about. Make something of yourself; don’t rely on others to do it for you.
ReplyDeleteCarver’s main theme was one of a simple family dealing with a spend thrifty husband/father. His father was a simple man from a simple background but nonetheless was a hard worker and did his best to be a provider for his family. His only weakness was whiskey but boy did it kick his ass! He always seemed to stumble home with whiskey on his breath and leave behind traces of women that he’d been with. I was disappointed that Carver didn’t give more credit to his mom for being the backbone of the family. She dealt with her husband’s drunken antics and loved him for the man she knew he really was. Her husband wasn’t a bum, he always found work whether he had to move his family to Washington or set out on his own to find it. It seemed to me that he worked his ass off during the day and drowned his fatigue in whiskey by night. There’s no point in singling out quotes from the story that had an impact on me because I related to this whole story. Not because I have parents like Carver’s father, but because I appreciate the quality of men my grandfathers were. They were both members of The Greatest Generation as was Carver’s father, but they were INVOLVED, loving, and caring family men who provided for their family. I can tell by the quality of parents I am blessed to have today. I relate to this story on a level of appreciation for the parents I have and I feel sorry that Carver wasn’t able to have the relationship with his father that I have with mine. When I read this story the song “I Still Can’t Say Goodbye” by Chet Atkins kept playing in my head. Listen to it and you’ll understand what Carver feels due to the fact that he never really spent much time with his father to experience the man he really was. The quote from Carver’s poem “Father, I love you, yet how can I thank you, I who can’t hold my liquor either and don’t even know the places to fish.” says it all. Carver loves his father because he’s the only father he’ll ever have, however he doesn’t know what to thank him for. He didn’t learn anything from his father because his father was never involved in his personal life. He still can’t say goodbye to his father because he never really knew who he was other than what he did and what he succumbed to. Don’t take for granted what great parents you have, take advantage.
ReplyDeleteI think the theme here is "Devotion". Raymond Carver Jr. sticks with his dad through thick and thin. He seems to do this with such loyalty to his father. I think the point being made is the fact the Raymond loves his father so much that he doesn't care what his father does, he will stay with him. An example is when his father sneaks around with other women. Where most kids would never forgive a parent for something like that, Junior almost ignores what his dad has done and stays by his side. I can see where the family cares for the father due to his hard worksmenship to provide for the family but at the same time running around with other women and getting drunk are two very wrong things. Papa Raymond could have gone about his business in quite a few alternative ways if he wanted to. He's lucky he had a good son.
ReplyDeleteMy Father’s Life was about Clevie Raymond Carter and the life he led. Through the telling of Mr. Carter’s life the author showed what the working class of America was like and how they just kept trying to make ends meet. Mr. Carter was looking for “steady work at a decent pay. Steady work was meaningful work.” I think that this quote sums up the whole theme because this short story was about survival of life and of death.
ReplyDeleteJunior told of his life and the life of his parents. Many times he was embarrassed of his family’s circumstance like when they had the only toilet in the yard. Junior made it seem like he was closer to his mother than his father because it seems that his father was gone a lot.
When Junior’s father has a mental breakdown Junior sees his father in a different perspective. His father is weak and doesn’t remember anything. Junior escapes the problem because he is living his own life and in many ways the same life his father had. Junior tells that he has to move a lot and seems to be away from his family as well.
In the poem that Junior writes about his father it becomes apparent the junior also has issues with alcohol which has been his father’s biggest problem. In the line where Junior admits that “he can’t hold his liquor either and don’t even know the places to fish” Junior is saying that his father was a better man than he was.
My commet wont post for some reason and I've done it numerous times like Guthrie. I' m going to write it out and turn it in tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteThat's fine, Conor. We'll try to see what's going on tomorrow.
DeleteThe main theme that i understood from Carter is that of relationship and respect. Throughout his whole life Carter witnessed the ups and downs of his father. He saw his dad when he was drunk and when he tried hard to earn money and cared more for other people. One thing Carter never did was talk bad about his dad. No matter the situation or how drunk his dad got, Carter always looked passed it and saw the better side of him. His mother didn't appreciate how Carters dad got drunk all the time. In one situation Carter's mom hit his dad in the face and knocks him out. This shows that his family had problems like all other families. As Carters dad grew older, he began to become sick and drinking even more. Carter never really visited his dad during this period. Soon his dad got better and stared working again. Then one day his father passed away. At the funeral Carter explains how he cant remember what was said and that he didn't cry to later that afternoon. This shows even though Carter looked to the better side of his dad all the time, the relationship between the two of them didn't have a close relationship. "My fathers Life" is a good quote to emphasize on because Carter my have not had the best dad ever. Even through the negatives of his dad Carter tried to see the positives. In the story carter describes how his fathers life impacted him and his life in a way. Basically he was saying that his father wasn't a perfect man, but he was who he was because of the man his father was. That is something everyone needs to understand. Fathers aren't perfect but the person needs to know he who he is due to his father not due to anyone else.
ReplyDeleteThe main theme in my opinion of the story "My Father's Life" is hard work, love, and commitment. Raymond Jr. basically shares his experiences growing up as a kid, and how him and his family makes it through really tough times. The Carter's were a family of 3 who lived an average American life. They struggled a lot financially and had a really big impact on their lives. Raymond Jr's dad was a hardworking man, who really cared for his family, and made sure they were taken care of. He also was a bit of an alcoholic, who at times had trouble dealing with his problem. He worked at a mill during the day and would always come home drunk off his whiskey. Mrs. Carter loved Mr. Raymond she just didn't like that fact that he liked to get drunk. One night while returning home drunk he tried to sneak through the window and she knocked him out. Raymond also helped out his other family who he described "was starving" to junior. His wife didn't like that he was so caring because he would spend so much money worrying about other people. When he was sick he still tried his best to look after the people he loved. That part of the story really got my attention the most because it showed his determination and his will to make sure his family was OK. When Raymond Jr. grows up he begins to accept his life and realizes "he's the man he is today because of his father".
ReplyDeleteThe theme I saw in "My Father's Life" was that of hard work. Raymond's dad truly is a hard worker and if it wasn't for his character flaws he might get ahead in life. However because of his excessive drinking he is unable to do so. When he does get sick and still works you can tell he still cares about his family and loves them. During this time in American history things were tough for everyone. Things go down hill however because of his fathers drinking, such as his health, money, and jobs. Never really able to hold on to any of it. When Raymond's father begins to cry in the hospital after Raymond tells him he is a grandfather you can tell he does love his family after all that has happened. At that point Raymond understands his dad a little bit better and in the end Raymond shows us he really does love his dad. So another theme of the story is family it's the one thing you can't help and no matter what you'll love them because when your down that's the one thing to pick you up. Like Raymond and his mom did for his dad.
ReplyDeleteI believe the theme of "My Father's Life" was the realtionship between a father and his son. Their realationship exemplifies many of the father-son relationships of the time period. Through this I mean, the father worked very hard at work to get his family the life they desired. Mother stayed at home to upkeep the house and take care of the kids.
ReplyDeleteAdultury was a substantial part of the story. And i think it hurt the realtionship between Raymond Sr. and his wife substantially. When Raymond grew up he could better undersatnd this as a teenager. the unconditional love that Raymond had for his father i think was broken. Even so, he saw the good sides of his father, like generosity and care for others. Which is why he agrees to work for him at the mill for all that time, especially when he was hurt and in need of help. Nearing the end of his father's life, it is great to see how much closer they've came. Raymond even can feel his pain, because he is having the same problems with alcoholism. All of this wraps up to his death, and Raymond finding out that his father was a batter man that he was and had no right to judge him for the things he did.
Make sure to use your full name from now on so I can give you credit, Rockwell (?).
DeleteOk try number 3... for today.
ReplyDeleteRaymond tells us the story of his childhood through what he considers to be important times of change or transition. Many of these times either involves something going wrong for the family or something happening to his father. The main theme I got from this was that you can't change people, and even if you have a man's namesake to go along with the genes he gave you, you will still be different.
The adultery and alcoholism of his father played a large part in Carver's life. He became a married man with a steady job who didn't cheat on his wife. I found it strange how nonchalant the mother was when they found the lipstick in the car. It shows how different others can be. The whole story seemed to be about the differences between the father and son.
Throughout "My Father's Life" Carver's mood shows respect, self-acceptance, and compassion. Carver looked up to his father for being a hard worker and knew he meant well by caring for others. But he looked down at the drunken side of his father who constantly cheated and showed no commitment to his family as a "father figure". Carver needed a male role model not just in work, but in relationships with his own family. Finally years later, Carver learned to accept his father's flaws by loving him unconditionally. After his father is very ill Carver took care of him instead of turning his back to him. When he became well, Carver did not communicate with him because he had his own family. But when Raymond's father died a few years later, he felt guilty and mad at himself. He felt that he would never live up to his father for how much of a hard worker he was. Carver's "hard work" was expressed mentally instead of physically. He looked past his father's faults and accepted who he really was. Loving someone unconditionally like Carver showed is one of the hardest things anyone can truly do. The weird part about it all is how Carver picks up some of the same faults his father had.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion the short story My Father's Life Carver had showed respect and compassion. Carver only cared for respecting his father good side which he learned to look up too for being a hard worker. But when he looked to his father’s drunken side he resented on how he constantly cheated and showed no love to his family as a father he looked up to. Carver seemed like he needed something to look up to not just only in a part time but full time especially at. Finally Carver had learned to accept his father for who he is. You can see that when his father was very ill Carver took care of him instead of pushing him away from him. Carver showed his hard work through love and caring. He looked past his father's faults and accepted who he really was. Loving someone unconditionally like Carver showed is one of the hardest things anyone can truly do. But at the end how he became more just like his father and his bad habits.
ReplyDeleteIn this story Carver wrote about his father and how he looked up to him. On the other hand carver looked down on the side of his father that was a drunk but learned to respect his father.He respected his father work ethic and ends up seeing himself as his father. tstory leads up to the death of Carvers father and eventually carver realizes how his father was a respectful man and how he was so similar to him.
ReplyDeleteCarver writes about how his Father was his idol, sometimes. He would disregard him when he would drink and not respect his family. Despite his father's tough life, Carver still cared for his father when he was ill. This showed that Carver actually did care and love his father. He idolized his father because of his hard work and felt that it would be hard to live up to his father's expectation of him as a father himself. This agrivated Carver bause he wanted to be exactly like his idol (his father) despite his down side.
ReplyDelete