This can be seen as a shift from a clear and simple conversation to unclear and murky opinions and viewpoints. Husband tries to calm situation after wife Ann cuts her thumb. He runs to the first aid kit realizing that if he did it for her she would appreciate running to his aid because she would forget their conversation about interracial marriage. As you read more into the story, the tone of both the husband and wife changes. He is annoyed that his wife repeats his answer as if to make him seem vulgar. One could also assume that this couple has been married for some time. The husband states, “In another thirty years they would be dead” (Wolff 3). This symbolizes that they are a mature, middle-aged couple who realize that they are no longer the people they once were. There is obvious tension building between Ann and her husband. Plus Ann and her husband know which buttons to push each other to get the point across