The narrowed voice: minimalism and Raymond Carver. From: Studies in Short Fiction | Date: January 1, 1994| Author: Trussler, Michael | COPYRIGHT 1994 Studies in Short Fiction. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

Raymond Carver uses ordinary language to expose the inability of communicating the reality of experience through purely referential language. He has been criticized for being a minimalist writer. Underneath the obviousness of his language, he subverts the simplistic equation of words to meaning. His short story 'Why Don't You Dance?' demonstrates the layers of meaning underlying everyday experiences and the inadequacy of language to capture such depth.

Minimalism appears to be rampa...