Perspectives

Literary perspective

The author of the story “They’re Not Your Husband”, Raymond Carver, is considered an important contributor to the literary movement known as dirty realism. Dirty realism is a form of realism used mainly by American writers, and the setting of works belonging to dirty realism is usually some small town in America.

This story is a typical example of this genre, as it presents characters involved in normal activities, either trapped in low-paying jobs or unemployed, struggling with poverty, and with being social outcasts. Also, the language used is simple, focused on actions rather than on the characters’ thoughts and feelings, leaving the readers to guess at the true meaning of the story. Moreover, the background of the characters is not revealed, and the sto...