Article Critics: Synopsis on Carver’s Gearhart

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Article Critique: Synopsis of Carver’s Gearhart
Communication is inevitable and humans cannot do without interacting with each other through verbal or non-verbal communication or both. Raymond Caver was one of the famous short story writers who were able to effectively use communication to pass his vision and to interact with readers. However, his work has been criticized by a number of scholars. One of the scholars who has criticized the works of Carver is Michael Gearhart in one of his articles known as “Breaking The Ties That Bind: Inarticulation In The Fiction Of Raymond Carver.” Throughout the article, Gearhart explains the importance of non-verbal communication as used by Caver in his story known as “A Small, Good Thing.” What makes Gearhart article an asset for readers of Carver story is how he explains the use of non-verbal communication as a complement of verbal communication.
The article by Michael Gearhart titled “Breaking The Ties That Bind: Inarticulation In The Fiction Of Raymond Carver” discusses how Carver used minimalist prose style. The article also discusses how he developed the human potentials of his characters in his story book collection known as “Cathederal” that was published in 1984. Gearhart specifically focuses on the characters in the “A Small, Good Thing” and how they managed to escape the inarticulation of the conventional Carver’s characters. Gearhart compares the “A Small, Good Thing” and “The Bath.

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The “A Small, Good Thing” is the rewrite of “The Bath.” “The Birth” is identical in the plot while “A Small, Good Thing” is longer and ironical (Gearhart 440). “The Bath” also gives an opposite conclusion compared to “A Small, Good Thing.” In addition, the description of characters in “The Bath” is shorter than its rewrite. Gearhart argues that Carvers is able to substitute implicit communication with verbal communication in the rewrite. Besides, the rewrite ends in a communion where the characters are able to share understanding and grief. According to Gearhart, Carver was more comprehensive in the story and used different styles compared to his previous writings.
Verbal communication is sometimes inadequate and persons can sometimes find it hard to express themselves verbally, especially when they are emotionally disturbed (Shi and Si 114). In the case where verbal communication is inadequate, people always resort to the non-verbal communication as in the case of “A Small, Good Thing”. At the same time, the non-verbal communication can be used to share with humanity. Dr. Francis finds himself using non-verbal communication frequently when he is not able to express himself verbally. He shakes hands with Howard when he enters the room and he pats Ann Howard when he is leaving (Gearhart 442). Therefore, non-verbal communication significantly complements verbal communication, especially when persons are not able to express themselves verbally.
The article also analyzes the aspect of physical appearance when people are meeting for the first time. People use physical appearance to judge strangers. At the same time, have the immediate impact in comparison verbal communication. In the interaction between radiologist and Ann, the radiologist is casual in his dressing compared to Dr. Francis, which makes Ann to have more faith in the latter physician (Gearhart 442). Therefore, Gearhart uses Carvers writing style to illustrate the importance of physical appearance in interpersonal communication or interaction.
Finally, non-verbal communication is clearer and bolder than verbal communication. People can easily understand non-verbal communication, especially when they are linked with verbal communication. For instance, the interaction between Ann and Baker, where the former is clutching her fist in readiness for a fight and the latter immediately notices and started happing his rolling pin to show that he is ready to defend himself (Gearhart 445). Therefore, the critic by Gearhart on Carver’s works is mainly based on how the latter could effectively use non-verbal communication.
References
Gearhart, Michael Wm. “Breaking the ties that bind: Inarticulation in the fiction of Raymond Carver.” Studies in Short Fiction 26.4 (1989): 439.
Shi, Yongming, and Si, Fan. “An analysis of non-verbal behaviour in intercultural communication.” The Language, Society and Culture 31 (2010): 113-120.