Say Yes

The opening line of “Say Yes” is: “they were doing dishes, his wife washing while he dried” (1). Although the story is written in the third person, the use of “his wife” establishes the story through the husband’s perspective. His wife, Ann, the only named character, is never seen without him. For instance, when he leaves to take out the trash, there is no parallel scene from the wife’s perspective. Not only does this amplify a sense of mystery around the wife, but it also implies that she is often defined in relationship to her husband. This concept that Ann is merely a part of the husband, which it’s clear the husband has internalized, will change as the story progresses.

As the couple washes dishes together, there’s a sense of equality and shared understanding at the beginning of the story. This quickly crumbles once they discuss interracial marriage, which creates a rupture, the central conflict. Ann has a strong reaction to her husband’s disapproval of interracial marriage, which surprises him. The husband asks, “how can you understand someone who comes from a completely different background?” to which Ann responds “Different? […] not the same like us” (2).