Are These Actual Miles?

I think that by using the title “Are these actual miles?” Raymond Carver wanted to stress on how important the convertible was for Leo and Toni. It makes us think about their past, the miles they rode on that car and everything they had lived together which is now gone with their bankruptcy. I like the fact that the title is an extract of the dialogue in the story: “Well, goodnight, the man says and coughs. Take it easy, hear? Monday, that’s right. Okay, then. He takes his foot off the brake, puts it on again after he has rolled back two or three feet. Hey, one question. Between friends, are these actual miles? The man waits, the clears his throat. Okay, look, it doesn’t matter either way, the man says. I have to go. Take it easy.”

Because Carver chose the title “Are these actual miles?” we know that the climax of the story is located at this point, in the dialogue between Leo and the man who bought the car. We can notice that the central theme of the story is Leo’s life and how desperate and lonely he feels. He is always abandoned by people who never take time to have a proper conversation. There’s a sense of rapidity and stress in the whole story.

First of all, the way that the story is written gives a sense of anxiety and pressure by listing action verbs one after another without stopping: “He circles the kitchen and goes back to the living room. He sits. He gets up. In the bathroom he brushes his teeth very carefully. The he uses dental floss. He washes his face and goes back to the kitchen” and so on.

Second, this sense of stress and anxiety is also shown on what we said before, the fact that Leo is always wanting to talk and wanting people to wait, not to hurry, to take time to explain things to him or to be with him. “I told you, she says. I have to go now. Wait, wait a minute, for Christ’s sake, he says. Did somebody buy the car or not? He had his checkbook out when I left, she says. I have to go now. I have to go to the bathroom. Wait! He yells. The line goes dead.” Also, Toni always hangs up first, without even saying goodbye or letting him finish his sentences.

It’s the same situation when Leo encounters the man who bought the car, the man is about to leave, but Leo needs to talk to him. “Wait! Leo calls and starts down the steps. (…) What is it that you want? The man says. Look, the man says, I have to go. No offense. I buy and sell cars, right? The lady left her makeup. She’s a fine lady, very refined. What is it?”. I think that this story may be portraying the American society because it shows how some business people act. There are a lot of people that are always hurried and stressed, walking on the street without caring about others. Maybe the fact that Leo wants everyone to wait, to relax for a while, is showing that people are anxious almost all the time. I did some research and found that Carver changed the title of the story; before being entitled “Are these actual miles?” the story was entitled “What is it?”, a part of the dialogue that also shows stress and anxiety, which is also focused on Leo’s feelings.

Why do you think the author changed the title form “What is it” to “Are these actual miles”?
Would there be a difference if the author hadn’t introduced Ernest Williams as a witness?