Perspectives
Literary perspectives
“So Much Water So Close to Home” by Raymond Carver belongs to the dirty realism literary movement. Dirty realism is a literary movement which explores the more mundane aspects of life, often focusing on the aspects which are otherwise overlooked.
For example, the story focuses on mundane events: a man and his friends go on a fishing trip. The author also focuses on unpleasant aspects, such as the cruel way in which the men handle the girl’s dead body (ll. 52-55). Dirty realism also explores the character’s inner struggles, which are often the result of miscommunication. This is also the situation in “So Much Water So Close to Home”, where Claire’s suspicion of Stuart makes her become obsessed with the dead girl.
