What We Talk About When We Talk About Love is a collection of short stories written in 1981 by Raymond Carver, and this is the title of one of the stories from the book. The short story itself symbolizes a wide range of diverse human behaviors expressed by the four characters it has. One of the most explicit and repentant themes is that of violence and abuse. Throughout the story, different acts of violence, both physical and verbal, are described and shown. Carver shows violence and abuse through his book What We Talk About When We Talk About Love in order to shape his readers' views and opinions. WWTAWWTAL contains four main characters who each embody and portray different emotions and behaviors throughout the story. The story revolves around a couple, Mel McGinnis and Teresa, who live in Albuquerque and have been married for several years. The Narrator informs us that Mel is 45 years old and a cardiologist, he also describes that he is "tall and lanky with soft, curly hair" and that Teresa, Mel's second wife, is a woman "as thin as a bone” with a pretty face, dark eyes and brown hair. Mel and Teresa invite Nick and Laura to their home, where Nick is the true narrator of the story. The two couples are sitting around the kitchen table, in the middle, a bottle of gin, the couples drink and discuss their past as well as their love. Raymond Carver was a laborer from poor roots and born in Oregon. One of the most important aspects that shaped Carver's life poorly was the fact that his father was a heavy drinker. Carver graduated from high school and began working with his father at the sawmill. At the age of 19, he married a 16-year-old girl and soon after had two children by the age of 20. paper......with Maryann as the two divorced shortly after this book was written. Mel continues to use foul language throughout the story, even when it comes to the simplest questions or remarks made to his statement, he tells Teresa "what's the difference" when he been corrected. Love Carver uses her own experiences to shape her readers' perspectives and behaviors. After beginning his “new life,” Carver realizes what wrong he has done to his wife and two children and projects it through the characters in the story. He feels guilty and therefore tries to show what he did wrong. In doing so, it informs the readers of the short story about common problems and changes people's views. Many different human behaviors are explored in the book, some claim its love, but the most prominent is violence and abuse..