What’s in Alaska

I have so much fun reading Raymond Carver. I love short stories and his short stories are so unique and simple.

He takes the most mundane situations and makes them tapestries of subtle beauty.

The Gist

In the Raymond Carver short story “What’s in Alaska?”, there is no literal depiction of Alaska; the title refers to a conversation about one of the characters, Jack’s, wife Mary, who has interviewed for a job there. The story takes place at a party at Carl and Helen’s house, where the couples smoke “stuff” (likely marijuana) and discuss various topics, including the possibility of infidelity, as Jack becomes suspicious of his wife’s connection with Carl. The story uses mundane objects like popsicles, cream soda, and a new hookah to add symbolic weight to the commonplace setting and the characters’ unspoken anxieties.

The story is filled with what I would call malapropos. In mid America people drink cream soda, but they don’t sit around and smoke pot out of a hookah. This couples are so white and middle class. But they do typical stoner stuff. They keep forgetting the cream soda out in the kitchen. They keep asking the question what’s in Alaska and they eat everything in sight.

And it’s not even a weird story, it’s just a funny story.

Here an example or overview and I hope this sheds some light.

The Simplicity

Mary has interviewed for a job in Alaska, leading her friends to discuss it.
Jack’s initial excitement about going to Alaska changes to a negative statement as he becomes aware of Mary’s potential cheating.
Jack’s statement, “There’s nothing in Alaska,” is a comment on the bleakness he feels about his life and marriage with Mary, rather than an actual description of the state.

The Iowa Review has a readible copy here.

An excerpt

Carl got off work at three. He left the station and drove to a shoe store near his

apartment. He put his foot up on the stool and let the clerk unlace his boot.

“Something comfortable,” Carl said. “For casual wear.”

“I have something,” the clerk said.

He brought out three pairs of shoes and Carl said he would take the third

pair, soft, beige-colored shoes that made his feet feel Ught and springy. He paid the clerk and put the box with his boots under his arm. He looked down at his new shoes as he walked. Driving home, his feet moved easy and freell

from accelerator pedal to brake to clutch.

“You bought some new shoes,” Mary said. “Let me see.”

“Do you like them?” Carl said.

“I don’t like the color, but ??1 bet they’re comfortable. You needed new shoes.