In the past, I have always viewed short stories as 'entertainment' tools, they don't have a deeper meaning, they are simply there to entertain. But my opinion has changed radically, these short stories do have their own story behind it, it just depends on the way you view it. It is up to you to decide whether or not to look deeper, and I realized that the message that these short stories give you can be interpreted in many ways, that is depending on the way you want to interpret them.
In Feathers for example, it is a story about a couple who have a small dinner at another couple's house. This is very normal, it is not something that is viewed as impossible or anything like it. But certain elements such as the peacock give the story a complete turn over. First of all, I have never heard of anyone who would have this animal as a pet and much less let it play with a baby and let it go in the house. Also things like the description of the teeth and the fact that the couple later regret that night as the night where they concieved their child leaves the reader very confused.
Apart from this, from the start we can see that Carver's writing style is very concise and direct. Although he does use many details when describing something at the same time he does not 'run around in circles'. An example of how direct his writing is can be seen when he describes the baby. "It was so ugly I couldn't say anything. No words would come out of my mouth." (pg. 20)
Also when I read this passage I wasen't in shock at all, on the contarary I found it quite funny. I can never imagine a baby being so ugly, in fact most babies are known for their 'cuteness' and some may have their physical flaws but they are never described in the way that Carver describes this baby. By this, we can also see that Carver uses alot of black humour in his short stories. Things that seem do not seem funny at all, and at times cruel, are what make them funny.
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