Language

Style of language

The language in the short story “They’re Not Your Husband” by Raymond Carver is informal, casual, and minimalistic. The story uses very few metaphors or similes, sticking instead to precise descriptions.

The characters use a lot of slang words in conversation, conveying a strong impression of realism. Some of the slang terms used are “quim” (p. 20, l. 25) for vagina, “slob” (p. 24, l. 7) for lazy, “joker” (p.20, l. 25) for a random person. These are all derogatory terms. The term “joker” is used twice, and the second time it comes across as ironic. The whole point of Earl pushing Doreen to lose weight was for him to regain his social status, and yet he is called a joker again, proving that his plan has backfired. The term joker also implies that the person should not be taken seriously.

When Earl manages to persuade his wife to lose weight, he remarks “I’m a closer” (p. 23, l. 10). This is a sales jargon term which refers to a person who is skilled at bringing a business transac...