Mel McGinnis

Outer characterization

Mel is one of the main characters of the short story “What We Talk about When We Talk about Love” by Raymond Carver. He is a cardiologist (p. 111, ll. 1-2) and has been married to Terri, his second wife (p. 111, l. 5), for four years (p. 115, l. 20). His first wife, Marjorie, lives with his children and their dog (p. 113, l. 5). Mel is “forty-five years old” (p. 112, l. 30), and he is “tall and rangy with curly soft hair. His face and arms were brown from the tennis he played” (p. 112, ll. 30-31). Before joining medical school, Mel went to the seminary for five years (p. 111, ll. 10-11). 

Inner characterization 

Out of the four characters, Mel is the one who is leading the conversation. Nick ironically claims that the fact that Mel is a cardiologist “gives him the right” (p. 111, l. 2). This suggests that M...