Popular Mechanics summary Raymond Carver BBS 2nd year English

 Popular Mechanics by Raymond Carver (1938 - 1988)

summary

Popular Mechanics is a story through which the writer Raymond Carver wants to give a message to the readers that using unnecessary force in the wrong place never benefits anybody.  Mechanics is a branch of physical science that deals with energy and forces and their effect on bodies. 

 

Later it appeared under the title "Little Things." The story describes an argument between a man and a woman that increases into a physical struggle over their baby. The writer through this story shows the bitter reality of a modern society where instead of solving issues through good communication, couples directly think of divorce. Lack of communication and inability to take the right decisions cause them to break their relationship and destroy their children's future.

 

It was getting dark weather was not good since morning. The husband was packing clothes. His wife came in, she was happy that he was leaving. She picked up the baby's photo from the bed.  The man asked to return the photo back but she refused and went out to the living room.

 

He came out to the living room his wife was standing in the doorway of the little kitchen holding the baby. He asked for the baby. When she refused he tried to snatch the baby. The baby was red-faced and screaming. In the scuffle (fight) they knocked down a flowerpot that hung behind the stove. He tried to break her grip on the baby. The Kitchen window gave no light. He gripped (held - the second form of the verb hold) the screaming baby's arm. As she felt the baby going from her hand, she grabbed for the baby's other arm. When he felt the baby slipping out of his hands, he pulled back the baby's arm very hard.

The writer has ended the story with the line " In this manner, the issue was decided."  It suggests that the struggle is over. Either the baby was killed or his hand had been broken.  Lost in their arrogance, they use the baby as a string and pull him back and forth which intensely hurt the baby.

Please read the real textbook to get the exact and detailed information. The summary may misguide you. Thank you.

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