And it ought to make us feel ashamed when we talk like we know what we're talking about when we talk about love

And it ought to make us feel ashamed when we talk like we know what we're talking about when we talk about love

Raymond Carver, a master of the short story form, often explored the complexities of human relationships in his work. In his story "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love," Carver delves into the murky waters of love and its many interpretations. The quote "And it ought to make us feel ashamed when we talk like we know what we're talking about when we talk about love" encapsulates the central theme of the story - the elusive and enigmatic nature of love.

Carver's characters grapple with the concept of love, trying to define and understand it, but ultimately coming up short. The four characters - two couples sitting around a table, drinking gin and discussing love - each have their own ideas and experiences with love, but none of them can truly grasp its essence. They talk in circles, trying to make sense of their own relationships and the relationships of others, but they never quite reach a definitive conclusion.

The quote suggests that love is a complex and multifaceted emotion that cannot be easily understood or explained. It challenges the idea that we can ever truly know what love is, as it is a deeply personal and subjective experience. By claiming to know what we're talking about when we talk about love, we are oversimplifying and reducing something that is inherently mysterious and unknowable.

Carver's minimalist style and sparse prose mirror the characters' struggle to articulate their feelings about love. The story is filled with silences and gaps, leaving much unsaid and open to interpretation. This ambiguity reflects the elusive nature of love itself, which can be both beautiful and frustrating in its complexity.