The Narrator's Relationships

Words: 339
Pages: 2

As the differences in how the narrator and Robert handle their relationships become clear, the narrator and Robert also exhibit differing attitudes towards each other. The narrator’s discomfort becomes evident as he wishes his wife would “come back downstairs,” for he does not “want to be left alone with a blind man” (Carver 219). As a matter of fact, he immediately asks if Robert “[wants] another drink” and if Robert “[wants] to smoke some dope” (Carver 219). These actions illustrate that the narrator cannot associate with Robert without his wife there to guide him and that the narrator requires drugs to cope with social situations. On the contrary, Robert’s developed social skills are clear from the moment he enters the narrator’s home with