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They'Re Not Your Husband

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They’re not your husband
”They’re not your husband” is a short story written by Raymond Carver. The story was published in 1973 in a literary magazine, called Chicago Review. The definition of a short story is typically a brief work of literature. The story has no set length and there are often few characters introduced in the story. The short story usually focuses on one plot, one main character, and one central theme. That is the opposite compared to a novel. The short story is characterized by the beginning, where the reader is thrown into the story. This type of introduction we call “in medias res”. This statement is Latin and means "middle of the action.” In all short stories there is an open ending. The open ending is an opened question, which means that you can imagine an ending. In the story ”They’re not your husband”, we have the themes obsession, control, insecurity, selfishness and appearance. Kit Wright writes the poem “Give Up Slimming, Mum” and in the poem we have the opposite theme; appreciation, happiness, accept, unity and presence.

Earl and Doreen are the main characters in “They’re not your husband”. They are married but there is a tense atmosphere between them. They do not seem to love each other. There is no connection and no intimacy.
Doreen is the hardworking woman. She works as a waitress at a coffee shop, which is open 24 hours a day. She must work late, because when Earl comes to the shop, to get coffee, she askes him about the children. “You sure the kids are okay?” Doreen is worried about their kids. Her husband and her works often to late, and maybe do not have time for them. She is not confident with herself. She has fleshy thighs and black veins on her back leg. She agrees to lose weight, when Earls complains about it. She succumbs to him and she looks up to him. So she decides not to eat, which is not good for her health. She

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