Themes and message

The main themes of “Popular Mechanics” by Raymond Carver are separation, conflict, and possessiveness, which are enhanced by motifs like faulty communication and aggressiveness (verbal and physical). Through this short story, the author shows negative aspects of break-ups as the two characters fail to deal with their separation in a mature way and end up hurting their child.

Separation

The theme of separation is obvious in the short story, as the narrative presents events related to the break-up of a couple: the man is moving out, the woman reacts negatively, and the two end up fighting over their child.

The idea of separation is suggested from the first lines, as we see the two characters apart, as the man is packing up and the woman is sitting in the doorway of the bedroom: "He was in the bedroom pushing clothes into a suitcase when she came to the door.”

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Conflict

The theme of conflict goes hand in hand with that of separation and is explored using the motif of verbal and physical aggressiveness. Firstly, the separation of the couple was probably a result of a conflict (perhaps the man found another woman or no longer loved his partner) of one of the characters with their relationship. But when the woman fails to accept the separation, she gives rise to another conflict through verbal insults and offenses:

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Possessiveness

The theme of possessiveness is explored in the short story in connection to the child and the characters’ fight over it. At a physical level, the theme is suggested through the references to how the child is held by the mother in a ‘grip’ or the way the father manages to take him away from his mother’s arms.

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