\”blog\” ryhmes with \”bog\”…

The ashes of memories made her cry.

House for rent, ghost included.

The chemists quickly discovered Hydrogen combusts exothermically.  

The slaughterhouse’s young calf never grew.

Say Yes, by Tobias Wolff is a story about racism, the belief that race accounts for the differences in abilities or personalities of human beings. The theme is conveyed through an argument between a husband and wife over whether a marriage between people of different races is possible or not. The husband is unconsciously racist. He believes African Americans and Caucasians cannot take part in an interracial marriage because “a person from their culture and a person from our culture could never really understand each other” (808). In other words, interracial marriages are not possible because people of two different races come from vastly different backgrounds and could not relate to each other. His wife continues to ask him about why he believes mixed marriages cannot work. She then poses the hypothetical question, “Let’s say I am black, but still me and we fall in love. Will you marry me?”, expecting her husband to say yes. Instead he says, “If you were black, you wouldn’t be you.” His statement reveals that he thinks race influences personality. His wife poses the question again, and he replies with a no. His wife takes this to mean that her husband does not love her. She thinks that if she belonged to a different race and nothing else had changed, her husband could not overcome the barrier to their marriage presented by the color of her skin. In reality, her husband is too racist to see that she could be the same person but belong to a different race

On a hot summer’s day in New York, the sidewalks are busy. Honking cars fill the streets, with drivers yelling out of their windows. Women do their shopping, pushing carts loaded with food in brown paper bags. Some men are striding purposefully, briefcases in hand, while others sit and read the newspaper on benches underneath the trees. Five school-aged boys step out of a shop, each holding half-empty soda bottles. The shop-keeper follows. “The next time you boys come into my store,” he says, “you better quiet down the first time I tell you.”

“Sure thing, mister,” the tallest says, and they all laugh. They trudge through the streets of the city, talking and drinking and laughing, relishing in the absence of school. They make their way uphill to a bridge to spit at the cars passing below them.  

“Say,” says one suddenly. “Let’s have a race.”

 “Allright,” the others chorus. “Where to?”

“First one to the river and Twenty-third wins,” he replies. “But here’s the catch—you gotta get there by truck.”

“How’s that a race?” another asks.

“I weren’t finished yet!” the boy complains. “You can’t just hitchhike. You gotta jump onto the trucks. It’s a race ‘cause the first boy to get to the river by hopping from one truck to another is the winner.”

“Hold up,” protests a third boy. “You mean we gotta jump ‘em while they’re moving?”

“Yeah,” the boy says boldly. “That’s not too much for you, is it? I’ve done it before.” 

One by one, three boys agree. They feel empowered by their daring. The fourth still hangs back. “Maybe this ain’t such a good idea,” he says. “How about a game of baseball instead?”

The four boys jump on him. “Wassamatter? You aren’t scared, are ya?” “Bet you anything he is, the chicken!” “Just look at him, he looks just like a scared baby!” “Poor widdle baby! Does you want your mommy?”

With a shout of laughter, they swing themselves over the bridge, landing lightly on the top of their first car. Men put down their briefcases and newspapers to watch. Women stare in horror, clutching at their hearts, covering their mouths. “My heavens!” one cries. “Those boys will be killed!”

“Stupid kids,” a man chimes in, then catches sight of the one left behind. “Smart of you not to join in,” he says. “We’ll find their bodies on the streets by 5:00 this evening.”

The boy doesn’t hear him. His ears ring with the laughter of his friends as he watches them make their way across the city, wishing baseball had never been invented.    

NB: the boy left behind grew up to become the man who pulled the emergency cord, causing Samuel to fall to his death.

Hello, girl; why are you so late?; when you come up the stairs, open the door quickly so I know it’s you, I thought you were a burglar; take off your shoes, keep your socks on; if I am with a student, don’t just stand around in the hallway, enter and sit down; put your books on the table; give me your notebook, let’s see how much you’ve practiced; where is you theory book?;  not much practice this week; do you have a check for me?; sit down at the piano; get up, the bench is too high; to adjust the bench turn the knob on the right side; no, turn the knob towards you; do you understand?; sit down; play your scales; excuse me! What was that note?; play it again; no—keep your wrists loose; pick up your fingers; play it again; is that the right chord?, what is the dominant seventh of f harmonic minor?; don’t just stare at me blankly; play the Bach; play it again; come on girl, play the right notes!; no, move aside—this is how you play it; is that really what the music says?; wrong!; play the Clementi; put hands together; play it faster, move your fingers; excuse me! Is that the right note?; you need to bring all of your books each week; play Tocatta Chromatica; wrong!; much better; add the pedaling; dynamics, girl, and phrasing; play it again; you have very weak fingers; this is what the music says; COME ON GIRL, PLAY THE RIGHT NOTES; I am not yelling at you, why would you say that?; don’t just stare at me blankly; put the books away; take the notebook; correct the theory and do another lesson this week; you need to practice more; you can’t have that much homework; one of my students plays an hour a day, and she is a senior; by the time you graduate you will only be in level seven; you need to write bigger, I thought this said “c minor”; do you understand?; you need to do another lesson this week; finish this workbook by May; take your shoes with you; bring me my check next time; alright, goodbye, I’ll see you next week.