Raymond Carver

Raymond Carver's story, "Little Things" is quite disturbing.  The story begins with a break up between what seems to be a mother and father.  Once the mother and father begin to argue about who will keep the baby, things get ugly.  It is incredibly disturbing that these two characters are fighting over the baby like two children fighting over a toy.  Even the dialogue is extremely juvenile.  

I want the baby, he said.

Are you crazy?

 No, but I want the baby.

This is low style and we see a lot of repetition with the word "baby."  I think this is Carver's way of reminding the reader that this is a baby the couple is fighting over, though it may not seem to be something insignificant.

At the end, as the two grab hold of the baby and pull in opposite directions, though it is not directly stated, it is clear that the baby has been ripped in two.  the very last line is incredible, "In this manner, the issue was decided."

This ended very much like the idea of two children fighting over a toy.  usually the fighting leads for the toy to break, in this case the baby did.  Perhaps Carver is trying to show metaphorically the tearing of the baby in two to represent and emotional tear that may occur when a child's parents split up.  By choosing to have the baby tear in two may be his way of symbolizing extreme emotional pain that children go through.