What if The Answer is “No?"

1036 Words3 Pages

Wolfe claims to fill his story with irony and paradox, but how? Is it in the portrayal of the husband’s misunderstood love for his wife? Perhaps it sits in the wife’s indifference towards the husband’s assessment of the subject. One thing is for certain however, “Say Yes” has an emotional lining of love and its pitfalls. This particular marriage reaches the topic of interracial-couplings and the culture difference experienced by whites and blacks during Tobias’s time. As the couple approaches the topic of race, the atmosphere in the room quickly changes.

According to the text, the husband’s attitude towards helping his wife with the cleaning had only increased in the last few months (paragraph 1). This is not to say that the husband does not care for his wife, his need to be thought of as considerate demonstrates his understanding of the balance in a relationship. For the husband to understand his short-comings as a person and as a partner reveals the depth of the character portrayed throughout the tale. His understanding of his wife’s distaste of his frequent difference of opinion with her does not halt his tongue from expressing how he feels, “…she pinched her brows together and bit her lower lip and stared down at something… he knew he should keep his mouth shut…” (paragraph two).

“The water had gone flat and gray” (paragraph eleven). The topic of racism comes up while they are washing the dishes. Ann is of the opinion that it should be alright for whites and blacks to commingle (paragraph five) while the husband, who has nothing against black people does not feel that the two cultures would be able to blend, despite both sides being alright people (paragraph six). Why though, does the husband feel whites and blacks can’t ...

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...e discussion, the husband takes on what appears to this reader as a condescending tone towards his wife. The tone of his words “The whole question is ridiculous. If you had been black we probably wouldn't even have met.” His opinion on the matter is entirely self-serving. He says he’s not a racist, but turns around and states that the idea of marrying a black person is ridiculous. He also says that the color of one’s skin changes who they are. While this may be true only in the matter that if his wife was colored, she might not have been raised by the same parents, it is terribly callous to imply that it could change. After his wife pesters him, he admits to her in honesty that he will not marry her. Only after a fit of pouting does he say he’ll make it up to her, though he isn’t sure how at the moment, it is with this statement that she leaves him to his thoughts.

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