Raymond Carver critiques the desires and values of American society in the 1970's and how it benefits the American's of the lower-middle class. Throughout this time, the American Dream was one of the most fought-for social expectation in the mind of an American. The American dream was the idea that hard work, inequity and perseverance can get you anywhere, however this idea became the falling point for many Americans. In Carver's short story 'Neighbours' his characters Bill and Arlene yearn for this perfect life American society is pushing on them. Their neighbours Jim and Harriet Stone seem to be living 'fuller and brighter life' in comparison to Bill and Arlene's, as Bill and Arlene are confined to the isolation of their apartment, confronting
