Metaphor

I can't find the text of the story online.

Raymond Carver was one of the great writers of the twentieth century. His posthumously published story Elephant is the best fictional treatment of the plight of the modern tax payer. Buy it, read it. Then buy Cathedral, and read that - if only for the title story and the wonderful A Small Good Thing.

You can read the title story, Cathedral, here. A very short story, Why Don't You Dance can be read here. It's a beautifully understated snapshot of a disintegrating life.

UPDATE: A Small Good Thing can be read here. If you haven't read it, do.