Characters

The main characters of the short story “Vitamins” by Raymond Carver are the narrator and his wife, Patti. The narrator works a menial maintenance job in a hospital, while Patti manages a vitamin sales business. Both the narrator and Patti are dissatisfied with every aspect of their lives. Because they are unable to deal with their problems, they resort to alcohol and seem unaware of the issues in their marriage. 

The narrative introduces other characters as well, including Sheila, Donna, Khaki, Benny, and Nelson. Except for Khaki, who seems to be an accomplished business owner, all the other characters are dissatisfied with their lives. They try to find different outlets for their frustration but are unable to evolve and end up just as miserable as the main characters.

You can read a full characterization of the narrator and Patti in the following pages.