Reading 9: "Fat"

The very first thing I noticed about "Fat" by Raymond Carver was his unique writing style. It is written in first person, without punctuation, and feels a bit like a gossip conversation. Because of the way it's written, it feels a bit foreign, and while it is in first person, I feel detached from the story. Instead of hindering the tale though, it adds to the dynamic. There is also a vast contrast in characters within this story. Though physical appearance may seem to be the focus based on the title, I wonder if instead the author wanted to highlight how emotions and words can change the appearance of a person. Throughout the story, the waitress is nothing but kind to the overweight fellow, despite unkind words from her coworkers and boyfriend. They create a bad image for themselves because they are so unkind. There's an unconscious shift within the main character as well, with her going on to observe how she feels fat. All of a sudden, she isn't so different from her customer. I wonder if this is in relation to both of them feeling as if "there is no choice." She can't escape her relationship, he can't escape food. In the end, Carver did leave me hopeful though, that the change alluded to within the waitress' life might be positive, and that she might make the right choice to leave before she can't go back.