미니멀리즘과 레이먼드 카버 —현대 미국사회의 문화적 평가

Abstract

Minimalism was first recognized as a way of counter cultural movements in the 1960s in America. By agreeing with the counter cultural motto, "Don't trust anyone over thirty," minimalism challenged every conception of tradition in all artistic fields, taking German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's argument "less is more" as its central philosophy. Musicians applied the minimalism in their musical performance mainly by repeating the same sound and melody as in La Monte Young's "Composition 1960 #10." Other artists like interior designers, painters, and architects tried to clarify the idea of minimalism by pursuing simplicity and emptiness. Raymond Carver, "the father of minimalism" in literary fields, applies the philosophy of minimalism in similar ways. The specific strategies he devises in his short stories include the followings: "storyless story," "authorless story," "amoral story," "dirty realistic story," "ungrammatical and simple structure," etc. This thesis analyzes Carver's stories "Neighbors," "Chef's House," "Are These Actual Miles," and "Vitamins" in order to figure out why he writes in minimalism styles and what literary objectives he wants to achieve. One of the clues can be found in his essay "Fires," where he says "my world was one that seemed to change gears and directions, along with its rules, every day." Mostly working as a temporary worker in low paying jobs like a delivery man, an office janitor, a sawmill assistant and many others, Carver didn't have enough time to write but minimalism stories. Carver gradually unfolds one aspect of minimalism after another through his own observation on contemporary America.