Define Minimalism:
Minimalism is a bare Christmas tree. It is a story stripped of its lights and decorations but still strong in its beauty and connotation. A minimalist story is one that makes its point pruned and poignant. It is a story that tells itself sans explanation of doing so. Without its drippings of literary gravy like symbolism and foreshadowing, it is a story that is raw and quite natural. Despite the missing ornamentation a well-written minimalist story is still able to convey the author’s message and meaning.
Examples from "Neighbors":
At the beginning of the story Carver right away lets us know who the Miller's are. In the first paragraph we know what type of people the Miller's are, what they do for a living and their relationship with their friends.
"Bill and Arlene Miller were a happy couple. But now and then they felt they alone among their circle had been passed by somehow, leaving Bill to attend to his bookeeping duties and Arlene occupied with secretarial chores."
The story continues with Bill and Arlene watching their neighbors apartment while they are away. While an ordinary task becomes anything but, Carver never explains nor forgives the odd actions. It happens for the sake of what is happening.
It is also interesting to notice the "behind closed doors" actions of the stories main characters. Bill and Arlene seem to quickly forgive each others lengthy absences into their neighbors apartment. Behind the closed door each of them go far beyond looking into the medicine cabinet. Initially Bill takes a couple swigs directly from a bottle of Chival Regal. Later we find him standing in Mrs. Stone's undergarments. To further prove itself as a minimalist story, Arlene goes across the hall disappearing for quite some time with only an explanation of, "It's funny...You know - going into someone's place like that."
For an author who is documented as finding the term "minimalist" degrading, Raymond Carter writes as an author proud of this economic literary device.
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