Say Yes Written by Tobias Wolff - Essay Example

Anna's hand gets cut and starts bleeding and he rushes to her aid, cleaning and bandaging the wound. His wife continues to question him and on her insistence, he tells her he would not. Then, she storms out and shows his indifference towards him by reading and locking up herself. He continues with the chores and later finds her locked in the bathroom. He tells her he would marry her and she says, she’d see! Later, she asks him to switch off the lights and when she walks into the room, he finds himself with a stranger in his wife!

2) Journal Summary: A summary of the important issues and responses you uncovered while journaling.

The first issue we encounter in the journal is not the major theme of Racial Discrimination but that of the relationship between the husband and wife. The husband is shown as a compassionate and considerate husband, as he helps her with the chores. Later, however, we do feel that his love might be limited by racial undertones, as he says he would not have married her if she was black. This uncovers the fact that humans tend to overlook love and give more importance to trivial walls like race and colour. The basic emotions go for a toss when one possesses an attitude that divides humanity.

The next issue that we can subtly point out is the ‘physical’ aspect of their relationship. We do end up possessing this feeling that he could be a considerate husband, to produce certain results---importantly and precisely, the physical part of lovemaking. This is hinted at, in the closing episode, wherein he tries to convince her and get her back to bed.

Thus, apart from the very evident attack on racial discrimination, there is also a question of whether love can transcend all boundaries made by man and elevate to a superior level. This, I think is extremely relevant in today’s scenario when the tolerance levels, commitment and true love between couples are on a wane. It happens more out of convenience or initial attraction, which is why break-ups over trivial issues have become the order of the day! Read More