Characters

The main characters of the short story “A Serious Talk” by Raymond Carver are Burt and Vera. The narrative does not present their relationship status, but we can assume they are either divorced or separated. Burt seems incapable of letting Vera go and tries to reconcile with her two times, on Christmas Day and the day after, but his efforts are unsuccessful, as he does more harm than good. The story suggests that Vera is trying to rebuild her life with another man. 

Burt and Vera’s children also appear in the first part of the story. Their presence gives Burt the illusion that the family can get back together. However, it should be noted that the children also seem to avoid Burt (after opening presents, the daughter starts setting the table for dinner, while the son retreats to his room, showing they might not want to spend time with their father). The narrative also mentions Vera’s friend and his children, who are not present, but whose existence creates further tension between Burt and Vera. 

You can read a full characterization of Burt and Vera in the following pages.