Short Story 'Say Yes'

The short story “Say Yes” takes place within the home of a white married couple. It is told from the point of view of the man, and the style throughout the story is very informal, consisting of a large quantity of dialogue. The exposition begins in the kitchen of the couple’s home with the husband, who is unnamed, helping his wife, Ann, clean the dishes. As they work, they begin discussing the topic of interracial marriage. The husband takes a negative stance on the proposition, but Ann disagrees. From the man’s perspective, people from different cultures cannot truly “know” each other. On the contrary Ann believes in the power of love. As the argument continues to escalate, Ann begins to wash the dishes at a faster rate. Interracial marriages are notorious for failure, according to her husband. He also expresses his hostility for foreigners to wed, again because they come from different backgrounds. After he pours the dishes back into the sink because of improper cleaning, Ann cuts her finger. Her husband hurries to get materials to sterilize the cut and rushes to her aid. In hopes of the conversation coming to an end, he tells Ann to go and relax. Instead Ann says, “So, you wouldn’t have married me if I’d been black.” After debating the fact that Ann would be a completely different person, the man decides this question is flawed. Finally, the climax of the story is reached when Ann further presses the question, and he finally answers saying no. They proceed to both ignore