Analysis

Here, we offer you a brief summary of our analysis of “Arrangement in Black and White” by Dorothy Parker

The short story is structured as a dialogue between the main character, the host of a party, and an African-American musician. The dialogue comes across mostly as a monologue as the main character monopolizes the conversation.

The main character is the white woman. The host and Walter Williams are secondary characters that help better reveal the woman’s character. 

We will also analyze the setting of the story. Most notably, the social setting explores aspects related to class differences and racial bias.

The story is quite explicit as the narrator reproduces exactly what the characters say and how they act. Moreover, language aspects like similes, repetitions, rhetorical questions, and symbols help the author convey deeper meanings and build the main character’s portrait.

You can read the full analysis in the next pages!