Say Yes

A detailed Summary of Say Yes

In the story "Say Yes" by Tobias Wolff, a couple's argument reveals a deeper question about their relationship. Why does Anne ask her husband a question, when she already knows the answer? She asks her husband, what she thought was an emotional question, hoping to trigger an emotional response. Instead, she received an answer with a more logical approach to the situation that may have lead her to realize her own insecurity about their relationship.

The argument is the part of the story that reveals the question. Although the narrator claims that they just stumbled upon this subject, it appears that Anne wanted to put herself in such a situation. When the couple got on the topic of interracial marriages and the husband says, " with all things considered it's a bad idea," (p.74) he left himself wide open for such a question. The wife just had to use that to her advantage, which she did. They exchanged their arguments, and it is obvious that she is going to ask such a question, when she gets cut. He tries to end the argument when he says he will finish the dishes, but she says, "That's okay, I'll dry" (p.75). By not leaving the topic alone the reader knows she has more in mind then just discussing interracial marriages.What did Anne

of someone moving through the house, a stranger (p.78)

in the darkness and waited to hear it again - the sound

about the years that they had spent together, and how

With his new found understanding he goes back in the house. He notices that she is in the bathroom and stands outside the door, and calls her name. He apologies to her, and says that he will make it up to her, but she wants to know "How?" This throws him off, not only because it was an unexpected response, but also her voice seems strange to him. This shows that she has changed, whether it is because she is hurt or she sees him differently after his answer. He then whispers into the door "I'll marry you," but her response is "We'll see"(p.77). She then tells him to go to bed and turn off the lights. Then as he lies there he hears a movement across the room, but saw nothing.

The couple's argument reveals a deeper question about their relationship. The wife asked her husband a question that was intended for an emotional response, but received a more thought out approach to the predicament. Although the wife did not get the response she wanted right off the bat; she allowed her husband's answer to fester in his mind, which indeed did end up giving her the answer that she wanted.

Relationships in general are complicated and always changing. Couples need to be in tuned with one another, and learn how to read each other's actions. Just when someone thinks that they could not possible get know someone anymore they find out something surprisingly new about that person, which may or may not be a good thing.

together, the way it still did when he woke at a noise

a fight. In another thirty years or so they would be

Some common words found in the essay are:
Tobias Wolff, reveals deeper question, interracial marriages, deeper question relationship, argument reveals deeper, , husband question, couple's argument reveals, couple's argument, question wife, wife husband, question relationship, relationship question, deeper question, emotional response, i'll marry,

Approximate Word count = 1198
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English