Popular Mechanics

4. Why is this couple splitting up? Do we know? Does it matter?

The reader never gets to find out why this couple is splitting up, but I believe that this is a detail that doesn't really matter. The reader only needs to realize that the couple is splitting up and ripping apart the life of the child. One would think that the reason for the split or divorce would need to be known, but it doesn't. This detail is just about as important as if Phoenix Jackson's grandson is dead or not in "A Worn Path." The reader isn't supposed to focus on why the parents are getting divorced, they are supposed to see the affects of the splitting of parents. In this story, the parents figuratively or literally tear their child apart because they are selfish and worry about their wants more than the child's wants. Carver wants the to convey this theme that is "popular" in today's custody battles.

"Getting Out"

The whole process of divorce is devastating in general. Personally, I would call it one of my worst fears. So much goes along with it and there just doesn't seem to be an easy way out. One of my friends has parents who are going through a divorce right now and it is definitely not easy on the family.

In the beginning of the poem, the speaker uses the word we. Then, in the middle stanza, the speaker uses I and you. This change of word just shows how they slowly separate. The worst part about this poem is the tone. I can hear the speaker actually saying there words in my mind. Their nostalgic, reminiscent, and sorrowful tone is clearly shown through these words. I actually felt sympathy for the speaker after reading this poem. It is obvious that breaking apart was a hard route. The speaker shows this by two paradoxes at the end of the poem, "taking hands we walked apart" and "we held on tight, and let go."