I denne study guide kan du få hjælp til at analysere novellen “Will You Please be Quiet, Please?” af Raymond Carver. Udover analysehjælpen kan du finde et resume af teksten samt idéer til fortolkning og perspektivering.
Præsentation af teksten
Titel: “Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?” (1976)
Forfatter: Raymond Carver
Genre: Short story
Raymond Carver (1938-1988) var en amerikansk forfatter og digter, som betragtes som en af de største forfattere i USA. Han er kendt for stilen dirty realism, hvor han beskriver skyggesiderne af menneskers hverdagsliv på en meget direkte måde.
Carvers novelle “Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?” blev udgivet som del af novellesamlingen af samme navn i 1976. Samlingen blev nomineret til the National Book Award.
Uddrag
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Title
The title of the short story “Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?” by Raymond Carver has an important symbolic significance. The line echoes the words of the main character, Ralph, to his wife: “ ‘Will you please be quiet, please?’ ” (p. 188, l. 5). A little later in the scene, the plea is repeated: “ ‘Just be quiet, please.’ ” (p. 188, l. 28).
The repetition of the word “please” suggests insistence, revealing that the matter is very important to him. As well as asking Marian not to speak in the current moment, it is clear that Ralph also wants the pain caused by Marian’s betrayal to stop. The word “please” is repeated almost unconsciously, like a mantra. Also, since Ralph is the one who asks Marian what happened at the party, the phrase in the title might indicate his wish to undo what she said.
The request to “be quiet” also points to Ralph’s indecision, as he is in two minds about knowing for certain what he has always suspected about Marian’s betrayal (p. 177, ll. 16-22). It is also worth noting that as Ralph wanders around, drunk, the slightest noise appears to cause him pain, suggesting he needs quiet. A car of yelling teenagers who blow their horn makes him think that there is a "great evil pushing at the world" (p. 181, ll. 10-13). The ringing of a bell over the door of the liquor store almost makes him weep from the sound of it (p. 181, ll. 23-24). The need for silence is also highlighted when Ralph thinks that "it would be silent somewhere if he had not married" (p. 177, ll. 20-21), suggesting Ralph's desire to escape this conflict and the pain it causes him.
