In the story, WHAT We Talk About When We Talk About Love", written by, Carver, Raymond, my perception of Mel was that he has to be a good guy due to the fact that he is a heart surgeon. It is my opinion that Nick is weak because he allowed Mel to put his hands on his wife's thighs and he did not speak much. I also think that Laura is a hopeless romantic and Terri is sarcastic.

When Mel turns his glass over and his gin spills all over the table it was a symbol of Mel's true identity being revealed. He is no better than Ed. The only difference between the two, is that Ed actually carried out his actions.

This story challenged my belief in love. One of the Thinking about the text questions were, Do you think true love is an illusion? Yes, I believe that love can be an illusion based on the reasons of why you love someone. That reason could be because of the person's social status, wealth, or fame. It can also be an illusion based on the fact that a person is wonderful, caring, and kind in the beginning of the relationship and as time passes he/she is not a good person at all. Carver may have used the older couple as a positive role model. So other readers my look at this example as true love not being an illusion but real.