In "Arrangement in Black and White," why does the woman cut herself off several times during her conversation with Walter Willia
ms? She forgets what she intended to say.
She is distracted by her attraction to the man.
She thinks that the man does not understand her.
She has to stop herself from saying racist remarks.
In "Arrangement in Black and White," we witness an important contradiction that was prevalent during the years of segregation. The woman in the story claims that she has no problem with black people, and that she can even consider them her friends. She has met others before, and she thinks there is nothing wrong with interacting with them. However, even though the woman is trying to be open-minded, when she meets Walter Williams she is very patronizing, even cutting herself off several times because of her belief that the man cannot understand her.
In the flickering firelight, they see the twisted form of the dead parachutist and mistake the shadowy image for the figure of the dreaded beast. They rush back to the camp, wake Ralph, and tell him what they have seen.
