Raymond Carver- Are These Acual Miles?

Quote 1:

“Toni has been two hours on her hair and face. Leo stands in the bedroom doorway and taps his lips with his knuckles, watching” (p.583)

This to me seems like a typical scene in the 1950’s like we have been talking about in class. Leo’s wife is spending hours on putting a front on, a mask, for the world because she has to play a certain character that night. Everything is an act that people put on but it is not who they are at home. Leo is waiting anxiously for her and it is clear just from this line that they don’t have the perfect relationship and that Leo has to watch Toni prepare for the outside.

Quote 2:

“Earnest Williams looks from across the street…Leo walked the women to the car, surprised Ernest Williams on the sidewalk with a newspaper in his hand…Ernest Williams started, then slapped the paper against his leg, hard.” (P.584)

Even though everyone puts on this front, people who watch closely, like Ernest, can see what really goes on in the family. Ernest sees the affair that Leo has and now looks past the fronts that they put on. You can tell in the story that he later looks down on them and can really see who they are.