Arrangement in Black and White by Dorothy Parker Summary, Themes, Characters, Style, Historical Background, Analysis In Urdu and Hindi

Publication and Writing Date

Publication Date: Published in the print edition of the October 8, 1927, issue, with the headline “Arrangement in Black and White.”

Author Biography

Name: Dorothy Parker (1893–1967)
Profession: An American poet, writer, critic, and satirist.
Early Life: Born in Long Branch, New Jersey, Parker experienced a difficult childhood, losing her mother at a young age and later facing family estrangement.
Famous Works: Includes poems like Resume and One Perfect Rose, short stories like Big Blonde, and screenplays such as A Star is Born.
Activism: Parker was an advocate for civil rights and social justice, leaving her estate to the NAACP.

Themes

Racism and Hypocrisy: The story critiques the shallow progressivism of people who claim to be anti-racist but perpetuate stereotypes.
Social Pretension: It highlights how social settings often mask deeper prejudices.
Irony and Satire: Parker uses wit to expose societal flaws.
Privilege and Ignorance: The protagonist’s obliviousness reflects a lack of self-awareness about her privilege and bias.

Characters

The Woman (Narrator): An unnamed white woman who is self-congratulatory and oblivious to her own racism.
Walter Williams: An African American musician, the subject of the woman’s patronizing comments. His character is central to exposing her hypocrisy.
Hostess: A minor character who facilitates the interaction, representing the social setting of polite racism.

Summary

The story begins at a bustling social gathering, with a lively and self-assured white woman adorned with "pink velvet poppies" in her hair approaching her host. She exhibits a mixture of eagerness and entitlement, gripping the host's arm and asking for a favor: to introduce her to Walter Williams, a prominent African American musician.

"Now I got you!" she said. "Now you can’t get away!"

The woman enthusiastically claims she is "simply crazy" about Williams and his music, going as far as joking with her husband, Burton, that it’s fortunate Williams is Black or he would feel jealous. Her flippant tone reveals her patronizing attitude.

Her "Broad-Minded" Claims:

The woman praises her host for throwing a party for Walter Williams, claiming that such events help Black and white people connect. However, her compliments are laced with assumptions of Williams' gratitude:

"Well, I think you’re simply marvellous, giving this perfectly marvellous party for him, and having him meet all these white people, and all. Isn’t he terribly grateful?"

The woman continuously asserts her lack of prejudice, claiming she feels completely at ease around African Americans. She positions herself as enlightened, contrasting her views with her husband’s Southern upbringing:

"I don’t see why on earth it isn’t perfectly all right to meet colored people. I haven’t any feeling at all about it—not one single bit."

Yet, her anecdotes betray her mindset. For instance, she boasts about her husband's fondness for his “old colored nurse” but excuses his refusal to sit at the table with a Black person, calling it a "shame" but brushing it off as a quirk of his upbringing.

Patronizing Stereotypes:

The woman perpetuates patronizing stereotypes, romanticizing Black people as "childlike" and "happy-go-lucky." She uses examples like her relationship with her Black laundress to claim her open-mindedness:

"They’re just like children—just as easy-going, and always singing and laughing and everything. Aren’t they the happiest things you ever saw in your life?"

Despite her insistence on equality, her language and tone show she views Black people as fundamentally different and inferior, reinforcing stereotypes under the guise of praise.

Meeting Walter Williams:

The woman is finally introduced to Walter Williams, who is described as a "tall young Negro." She performs exaggerated politeness by extending her hand at arm’s length and holding it for all to see, an act intended to showcase her “progressive” nature.

"The woman with the pink velvet poppies extended her hand at the length of her arm and held it so, in fine determination, for all the world to see, until the Negro took it, shook it, and gave it back to her."

During their conversation, she praises his performances in a condescending tone, speaking slowly and enunciating clearly, as if to a child or a deaf person:

"Oh, how do you do, Mr. Williams. Well, how do you do. I’ve just been saying, I’ve enjoyed your singing so awfully much."

She praises his music while making racially insensitive remarks, such as marveling at how Black people seem to have music “right in them.”

"Isn’t it marvellous, the way they all have music in them? It just seems to be right in them."

Williams responds with polite brevity, maintaining his composure throughout her patronizing comments.

Aftermath:

After speaking with Williams, the woman reflects on the interaction with her host. She nearly boasts about her faux pas, admitting she almost said that Katherine Burke, another guest, "looked almost like a nigger."

"Oh, my dear. I nearly died! Honestly, I give you my word, I nearly passed away. Did you hear that terrible break I made? I was just going to say Katherine Burke looked almost like a nigger. I just caught myself in time."

She is relieved, believing that Williams didn’t notice. She continues to praise him but couches her compliments in condescension, stating that he doesn’t "try any of that" (referring to assertive behavior), showing she expects subservience from Black people.

"You know, so many colored people, you give them an inch, and they walk all over you. But he doesn’t try any of that."

Her final remarks reinforce her sense of superiority and her pride in addressing him as "Mister," which she plans to share with her husband for its shock value.

"Wait till I tell Burton I called him ‘Mister’!"

Narrative Style: Parker uses dialogue and irony to highlight the woman’s hypocrisy and the subtle racism pervasive in society.

1. Irony

Irony is the central literary device in the story. The protagonist repeatedly claims she has no racial prejudice while simultaneously making racist remarks and reinforcing stereotypes. This disconnect between her self-perception and her actions creates dramatic irony, where the reader understands her hypocrisy, though she remains oblivious.

Example: "I haven’t any feeling at all about it—not one single bit."
Her frequent protests that she is not racist serve to highlight her racism rather than dispel it. The more she claims tolerance, the more her prejudice is exposed.

2. Satire

Parker uses satire to critique societal attitudes toward race and hypocrisy among white liberals of the era. The protagonist's exaggerated self-congratulation and patronizing tone mock those who feign open-mindedness while perpetuating systemic racism.

Example: "I just think they’re like children—just as easy-going, and always singing and laughing."
This line mocks the condescending view that Black people are inherently different, reducing them to caricatures even when expressing admiration.

3. Characterization

Parker's characterization of the protagonist is masterfully done through dialogue and behavior. The woman’s incessant chatter reveals her self-centeredness, superficiality, and lack of self-awareness. She uses language that is both overly effusive and deeply patronizing, which paints her as a hypocrite who is blind to her biases.

Walter Williams, in contrast, is portrayed through minimal dialogue as dignified and composed. His calm responses underscore the imbalance of power and the social constraints imposed on him in the situation.

4. Symbolism

Pink Velvet Poppies: The woman’s gaudy accessory symbolizes her superficiality and performative nature. Her outward appearance, like her behavior, is designed to draw attention to herself rather than convey sincerity.
Handshake Scene: The exaggerated way she extends her hand symbolizes her performative allyship. She is more concerned with appearing progressive than with genuine equality.

5. Dialogue as a Narrative Tool

The story is almost entirely composed of dialogue, which allows Parker to convey the protagonist’s character and the themes without overt authorial commentary. The woman’s words carry the weight of the story, demonstrating her contradictions and biases through what she says and how she says it.

Example: "Wait till I tell Burton I called him ‘Mister’!"
Her delight in this small act shows that she views racial equality as a novelty rather than a principle.

6. Point of View

The story employs a third-person objective point of view, focusing exclusively on dialogue and action without delving into the internal thoughts of the characters. This detachment highlights the protagonist’s hypocrisy and allows readers to form their own judgments about her behavior.

7. Theme

Several themes emerge through Parker's use of literary elements:

Racial Hypocrisy: The story critiques the superficiality of white liberal attitudes toward race.
Performative Allyship: The protagonist’s desire to be seen as progressive exposes the emptiness of her actions.
Power Dynamics: The story subtly highlights the social imbalance between white people and Black people through Walter Williams' limited responses and deferential behavior.

8. Tone and Style

Tone: The tone is satirical and sharply ironic. Parker exposes prejudice through humor and exaggeration, making the woman’s obliviousness both amusing and unsettling.
Style: Parker's concise and pointed writing style mirrors her character-driven narrative. Her use of plain language and conversational tone enhances the realism of the dialogue.

9. Historical Context as a Subtext

Written in 1927, the story reflects the social and racial attitudes of its time. The Harlem Renaissance was in full swing, and many African American artists, like Walter Williams in the story, were gaining recognition. The white protagonist’s condescending admiration of Williams reflects the tokenism and fetishization often directed at Black culture during this period.