Themes and message
Indhold
Miscommunication
One of the main themes explored in the short story “The Bath” by Raymond Carver is the theme of miscommunication.
The theme is illustrated by the important characters in the story. For example, the story begins with the interaction between Ann and the baker. Ann tells the baker only the basics, like her name and her telephone number, while the baker only tells her when the cake will be ready. Their interaction is short and to the point, with “nothing that was not necessary” (p. 251, l. 22), but in the context of Scotty’s accident, it leads to miscommunication. Ann does not mention the cake to Scotty’s father, most likely because the original plan had been for her to pick it up herself. She also forgets about the cake en...
