Authors frequently choose to use vibrant expressions in their writing that grab hold of the readers' senses. Sometimes one sensory image is repeated throughout the literary work, causing the reader to pay special attention to the key theme the image represents. In "Everything Stuck To Him," Raymond Carver uses the sensory image of coldness to demonstrate the differences concerning the harshness of the real outside world and the tenderness found in a stable, loving family.

"The baby came along in late November during a cold spell that just happened to coincide with the peak of the waterfowl season." This "cold spell" that the daughter was born in refers to the first instance of starkness found in the young family, which eventually led to the separation of the couple. Before the boy leaves to go hunting, he puts on his coat, sweater, and boots. He is not only gearing...