So Much Water So Close to Home

Raymond Carver spoke frequently of his preference for writing short stories. Consider the characteristics of long fiction versus those of short fiction. What makes the latter an effective choice for Claire’s story?

The theme of Gender Norms’ Harmful Effects on Women fuels the conflict in numerous ways. Examine the role minor characters—both male and female—play in developing this theme. How does their presence contribute to or illustrate constructs of masculinity and femininity?

Many of Carver’s stories are regarded for their skillful use of epiphany—a literary device, usually occurring at the end of the work, in which a character experiences a sudden, illuminating realization. Does “So Much Water So Close to Home” conclude with an epiphany? If so, trace the steps the character undergoes to reach this epiphany. Unpack what they learn and its significance. If you do not find evidence of epiphany, explain why.

Compare and contrast the motif of men as threats in this short story and in Joyce Carol Oates’s story of the same era, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” In what ways does the agency (or lack of agency) of Carver’s Claire and Oates’s Connie make them vulnerable? How do the stories’ very different endings flow from this vulnerability?

In a 1986 interview with Silvia Del Pozzo, Carver expressed his disdain for the description of his writing as “Minimalist,” explaining, “It’s a label that bothers me: it suggests the idea of a narrow vision of life, low ambitions, and limited cultural horizons” (Del Pozzo, Silvia. “I’m Sort of Their Father.” Panorama. Milan, Italy, 23 March 1986, p. 95). To what extent do you agree with Carver’s assessment of Minimalism? Is this term useful in illuminating the meaning of “So Much Water So Close to Home”? If so, how? If not, why?

Consider the story if it were told from Stuart’s point of view. How would this impact its major themes?

In Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft, Janet Burroway emphasizes the importance of tension in stories, insisting, “Only trouble is interesting” (Burroway, Janet. Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft. 7th ed., Pearson Longman, 2006, p. 261). By this she means that without problem or conflict there is no story to be told. She goes on to argue that a main character to some degree “causes or participates in” his or her own trouble. Consider this maxim as it applies to Claire. Does she bear some responsibility for the obstacles she encounters in the story? If so, to what extent? What prevents Claire from being able to solve her trouble (or does she)?

Seeing and being seen are frequently mentioned as themes of “So Much Water So Close to Home.” How does this topic intersect with the story’s depiction of The Pervasiveness of Doubt and Deception?