The Rhetorical Analysis Of Tobias Wolff's 'Say Yes'

A normality within typical suburban homes is washing dishes, whether it be following a meal or anytime during the day. Though washing dishes seems to be a simple task, Tobias Wolff’s short story, “Say Yes” proves otherwise. Wolff depicts a typical suburban white couple washing dishes together; however, the topic of race is brought up between the two and clashing viewpoints are shown. Through the use of tone to demonstrate the raising levels of tension, point of view to provide an unbiased depiction of the situation, and domestic details to contrast with the ongoing tension, Wolff expresses the characters and their relationship. Throughout the short story, the tone of voice each character uses gives insight into their relationship. The topic

In the story, the wife seems to have more of an inquisitive tone towards her husband. She continues to question his reasoning, “but if we had met and I’d been black?” (Wolff 1357) no matter what possible solution her husband tries to provide. Once again the wife mentions, “That I’m black, but still me and we fall in love. Will you marry me?” (1357) in efforts to convince her husband to just say yes—hence the title of the piece—however, her efforts are futile. The wife’s constant inquisitive and persistent tone shows the reader that she discomforted by her husband’s viewpoint. The conversation between the two and her tone with her husband proves to the audience that—mentioned at the end “someone moving through the house, a stranger” (1359)— the wife feels as if she does not know her husband as well as she thought. On the other hand, the husband’s tone throughout the story is defensive and

In the brief introduction of the story, Wolff mentions, “Helping out with the dishes was a way of showing how considerate he was,” (1356) which shows the initial nature of the couple’s relationship—caring. The caring nature of the couple’s relationship is show again when the wife cuts her hand and the husband, “ran upstairs to the bathroom and rummaged in the medicine chest” (1357). These two instances provide the reader with the notion that the couple, especially the husband in this instance, cares for one other deeply. Though this statement seems to be true, the domestic details serve an alternative purpose as well—symbols. When the conversation begins to become more heated, Wolff demonstrates how, “she was piling dishes on the drainboard at a terrific rate, just wiping them with a cloth” (1356). Wolff’s attention to this detail shows how the frustration of the wife is building up and ultimately leads to her stabbing her finger. The water of the sink, “flat and gray” (1357) symbolizes the essence of their conversation—gloomy and going nowhere. Towards the end of the story, the husband cleans the house as it was when they first moved in which symbolizes how their relationship is reverting back to the beginning when they were