Max Weber's Short Story 'Neighbors' By Raymond Carver

“Neighbors” is a short story written by Raymond Carver in 1971. It tells of a narrative of a couple, Bill and Arlene Miller who are left to take care of another couple’s, the Stones, apartment. From the very beginning the Millers recognize that the Stones’ life is much more exciting than theirs. When the Stones leave for their vacation, Bill goes over to the apartment to water the plants and feed the cat. He becomes increasingly interested in his neighbor’s possessions, almost as though he is living through them by eating their food, drinking their drinks, and trying on their clothes. The story ends with the couple forgetting the key in their apartment and thus being locked out of it. The moment where they clutch each other shows how their behavior throughout the past couple of days have become apparent to them. Overall, it is a story about how the Millers compare their …show more content…
Social stratification has multiple and overlapping dimensions and groups that involve a complex set of social relationships. He sets out a broad view of how society is organized and posits three categories people can be grouped under: Economic, Honor or Life-Style, and Power, which constitute the social order. Weber writes greatly of status honor and status groups. In “Neighbors,” the Stones represent people of higher status based upon their lifestyle and the Millers constitute people trying to achieve the same status who wish to belong to the circle but can’t. Furthermore, Paul Fussell wrote “Class: A Guide Through the American Status System” in 1983. He relates social order based upon lifestyle choices instead of solely monetary value. His ideas are implemented in “Neighbors” through the distinctions between the Stones’ and Millers’ lifestyles. There are also moments in the story that emphasize the struggle of social classes and the desire to achieve