Edna

The story “Chef’s House” by Raymond Carver does not contain any direct references to Edna’s outer characterization. Throughout the story, we learn that she is an American woman, probably middle-aged, as she is the mother of two children who are both adults at the time of the story. At one point, Edna remembers an episode in their life when Wes was nineteen: “I remember when he was nineteen (…). I got out with Cheryl and Bobby and said, There’s Grandpa. But they were just babies.” (ll. 141-145). From this detail, we can conclude that Edna had children when she was very …

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Inner characterization

The narrator’s inner characterization is constructed through her perspective on the events she experiences, by her language, actions, and attitude.

In beginning of the story, Edna receives a few phone calls from her recovering alcoholic husband, Wes, who insists that she comes to live with him in a rented house north of Eureka. Edna remains cautious at first: “I knew about that wagon” (l. 4),. This suggests that Wes has been through recovery before and failed and that she doesn't trust him fully he will stay sober.

Their attempts to reconnect are probably frequent. Edna does not seem surprised when Wes contacts her and various statements she makes throughout the story support this idea: “I knew better, but after a month of being with Wes in Chef’s House, I put my wedding ring back on” (ll. 26-28); “Suppose this was for the first time. Just suppose. It doesn’t hurt to suppose. Say none of the other had ever happened.” (ll. 126-127)

However, Edna seems intrigued by Wes’s invitation and listens intently to how he speaks on the phone, to check for signs of sobriety: “I listened to him talk. He didn’t slur his words.” (l. 7). Before making the decision to join Wes, she asks him to make her a promise: “I said, I want yo…