Gonzalez 1

Michael Gonzalez
Professor Lago
ENG 1500-12
3/10/14
In-Class Essay
So many things pop up in my head when I think about love. Love is such an abstract
concept and the only way I can define it, in terms of person to person, is an emotional attachment
and an emotional investment towards someone closest to you. Love, in its essence, is very
beautiful, but love can get crazy especially when its misunderstood or even when the person
doesnt know how to act on love, oh man, their actions can resemble otherwise. Someone can
say, This is love, but another person could say that, This isnt love at all. The story that best
describes all of this is the story of, What We Talk about When We Talk about Love by
Raymond Carver. This story gives us a weird perspective on love. In the story, two couples, Mel,
Terri, Laura, and the narrator, were sitting down drinking some gin and a very awkward and
uncomfortable subject had come up about Terris past relationship with a guy named Ed.
Terris relationship with Ed is certainly questionable considering that Ed physically
abused Terri. In addition, Terri defends Ed in the conversation while Mel was talking badly
about Ed. Terri said, He beat me up one night. He dragged me around the living room by my
ankles. He kept saying, I love you, I love you, you bitch (Carver 331). This could make
anyone think that Ed is absolutely insane, but Terri thought it was love, even though it was a
weird way of expressing love. Mel wasnt too happy about that and didnt think it was love, he
voiced it when he said, My God, dont be silly. Thats not love and you know it (Carver 331).
Gonzalez 2

As you can see, Eds actions do not express love, if so, hate and anger. Eds actions reflect how
he misunderstood the concept of love and didnt know how to act on it.
Mel loves Terri very much in a different way in which he thinks it is the right way. His
compassion towards Terri was reflected in a weird way as well, but it is more understood to the
average person. Moreover, Mel showed, almost, disgust to the fact that Terri was defending Eds
actions. Mel said, Poor Ed nothing He was dangerous after Terri had told the narrator and
his wife Laura that Ed had killed himself. Mels anger and passion towards Terri is viewed into
two different ways, which are: controlling or passionate. His love towards Terri could be seen
either way because it is possible that Mel doesnt know how to act on love either or it could just
be that he is well aware on how to act on love and more.
The narrator and Laura were speculating the situation throughout the story and they were,
what we considered as, the cute kind of soft spoken couple. In the story it says, I touched the
back of Lauras hand. She gave me a quick smile I encircled the broad wrist with my fingers
and I held her. That is what I can define as a transparent