The short-story “Neighbors”, by Raymond Carver, was first published in June 1971 in the Esquire and later in “Where I’m calling from” (1989). In this story, told by an omniscient narrator, Bill and Arlene Miller are supposed to take care of their neighbors’ (Jim and Harriet Stone) apartment while the couple is out of town, but they end up invading the Stones’ privacy. By this they will compare their lives, apartment, relationship and even themselves. As a result of this comparison, they get depressed because they feel that the life of their neighbors is better than their own.

The first paragraph already tells that Bill and Arlene are unhappy about their lives, how boring is their jobs and how they envy the couple who lives across the hall, in the Millers’ opinion, for having a much more exciting life.

The Stones are going to be away for ten days and in their absence, the Millers will look after their apartment, their cat and water the plants. These things will allow that Bill and Arlene get in Stones’ home and, by consequence, in their lives. They will, actually, try to become Jim and Harriet.

The first time Bill gets in the apartment he sees a clock that m

After having sex with Arlene, Bill goes again to his neighbors’ apartment to feed the cat. After doing it, he starts to open all the cupboards, examining everything in its inside. He opens the refrigerator, eats a piece of cheese and an apple. Why does he do this? He can’t be hungry since he has dinner at his place before going there. And even if he was, he could go eat at his apartment, which is in the other side of the hall. It’s possible to say that he doesn’t want his place, his food, he wants his neighbors’ home, their food, because he wants to be them.

But this fantasy is about to finish. Arlene locked the key inside the apartment, so now they can’t get in. They get totally depressed and they just stay there, leaned into the door, bracing themselves. He tries to comfort her, saying to her not to worry. But they still stay there feeling desolated.

When he opens the door, Arlene asks him why he took so long and he gives her lying excuse. Then they go to their own apartment and make love again. It seems that these visits are giving them a new life, a much more exciting one. Maybe so exciting as Jim and Harriet’s life.

Another thing that this visit to his neighbors’ apartment causes on him is an

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