Analysis of "The Girls In Their Summer Dresses"
             The short story "The Girls In Their Summer Dresses" by Irwin Shaw highlights an argument between a married couple on a Sunday afternoon in New York City. The afternoon begins well; the wife, Frances, makes plans with her husband, Michael, to spend the entire day with only each other, and not with their friends the Stevensons, as originally intended. While the couple strolls down the street, Frances catches Michael gazing at a pretty girl walking by, and a squabble begins. The events that unfold while Michael and Frances debate illustrate that this is not their first quarrel on the subject, and that this couple handles their problems with a little alcohol and a buffer zone of friends. Shaw suggests through this story that for a couple to progress in a marriage, each partner must be willing to compromise and must have respect for the other.
             The husband and wife are directly presented, with the statement "...a young couple with money to throw away," as being wealthy. Frances appears to be insecure, giving, and has a low self-esteem, while Michael is disrespectful, honest, immature, and a little foolish. Michael disrespecting Frances by looking at other women causes her to feel insecure about his feelings. Frances promotes herself and fishes for compliments by saying "You say you love me?...I'm pretty, too," which a wife should not have to do with her husband. Michael does nothing to comfort Frances while she cries, and when Frances offers to call the Stevensons, he only says "sure." The Stevensons are presented as Michael and Frances' buffer; when this couple has a problem, they call their friends because they will not argue in front of friends. Another apparent problem solver for the couple is alcohol; during the course of the argument they drink three or four Courvoisiers to soothe their nerves. The couple solves...