Perspectives

Literary movement

The short story “Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?” by Raymond Carver could be considered an example of dirty realism. Raymond Carver is an important representative of the dirty realism literary movement. Works written in this style portray everyday aspects of ordinary life, presented with detachment and irony, and letting the events speak for themselves. The story “Will You Please be Quiet, Please?” is focused on a man’s suspicion that his wife has cheated on him, which turns out to be true and which sends him spiraling into a breakdown. The characters and the setting are very realistic, making it easy for the readers to imagine that it might happen in real life.

Another characteristic of the dirty realism movement which is also employed in this story is the minimalist writing style. The author provides only a few details about the ...