Marriage finds its origin a simple barter transaction. A husband would haggle for an agreeable price and in return he would receive a wife. Somewhere along the way this unpoetic history has been convoluted into a notion that marriage will create ever lasting love. In reality, marriage will not create love between two people; it will either unite them as equals or separate them as adversaries. This simple truth is exemplified by the characters in “Say Yes” by Tobias Wolff, and as we see the unfortunate dissention of adversaries in the story unfold we realize many marriages of today face a similar fate.
As the story begins the husband seems to have earnest intentions for his relationship, but we soon see a play for power more so than a genuine …show more content…
This scene epitomizes the true barter nature of their, and most, marriages with the trading of one action for the expectation of another. Wolff utilizes a third person limited narrative in order to highlight further hypocritical situations and the apparent lack of genuine love in the marriage. Where a true loving husband would forget any petty argument this “husband” expects a reward for his deed only further demonstrating the emptiness the two are trapped in. The only passion left in their marriage seems to lie in their …show more content…
“The two mutts from down the street had pulled over the garbage can again. One of them was rolling around on his back and the other had something in her mouth…” (3). By Wolff comparing the couple to the dogs he reinforces his message to forget about appearances and focus on substance. Unfortunately, the mutts just like the husband and wife focus more on themselves than each other. Wolff uses one final chilling image of the wife in the house as “…the sound of someone moving through the house, a stranger,” (4) to drive home his final message. If loveless marriages continue for too long partners sadly complete a metamorphous into quitters instead of fighters, enemies instead of friends, and strangers instead of
As the story begins the husband seems to have earnest intentions for his relationship, but we soon see a play for power more so than a genuine …show more content…
This scene epitomizes the true barter nature of their, and most, marriages with the trading of one action for the expectation of another. Wolff utilizes a third person limited narrative in order to highlight further hypocritical situations and the apparent lack of genuine love in the marriage. Where a true loving husband would forget any petty argument this “husband” expects a reward for his deed only further demonstrating the emptiness the two are trapped in. The only passion left in their marriage seems to lie in their …show more content…
“The two mutts from down the street had pulled over the garbage can again. One of them was rolling around on his back and the other had something in her mouth…” (3). By Wolff comparing the couple to the dogs he reinforces his message to forget about appearances and focus on substance. Unfortunately, the mutts just like the husband and wife focus more on themselves than each other. Wolff uses one final chilling image of the wife in the house as “…the sound of someone moving through the house, a stranger,” (4) to drive home his final message. If loveless marriages continue for too long partners sadly complete a metamorphous into quitters instead of fighters, enemies instead of friends, and strangers instead of