Perspectives

Literary period

Raymond Carver’s short story “One More Thing” fits the Modernist literary movement. This movement experienced a rise in the late 19th century and carried on through the early 20th century. Although the story was published in 1981, Modernism was still a popular literary style used by many authors of that period.

Modernist works can be recognized through themes, context, and narrative techniques. In “One More Thing,” Raymond Carver explores themes such as alcoholism and dysfunctional families, themes which are often encountered in other modernist works, especially those written in the 1980s.

In terms of modernist narrative techniques, the short story employs a style in which meaning is established through dialogue and action. Nothing is stated explicitly. This style of writing is often referred to as iceberg theory, and it was coined by the American modernist writer Ernest Hemingway. It is a minimalistic style which focuses on surface elements without offering interpretations or insights into the mind of the characters.

The story also employs the use of...