In the brief introduction to the story, Wolff mentions: “Helping with the dishes was a way of showing how caring he was” (1356) , which shows the origin nature of the couple's relationship: caring. The caring nature of the couple's relationship is demonstrated again when the wife cuts her hand and the husband "runs up to the lavatory and searches in the medicine chest" (1357). Both of these examples give the reader the impression that the couple, especially the husband in this case, cares deeply for each other. Although this statement seems true, domestic details also serve another function: symbols. When the conversation begins to become more animated, Wolff demonstrates how "she stacked the dishes on the draining board with frightening speed, simply wiping them with a rag" (1356). Wolff's attention to this detail shows how the woman's frustration builds up and ultimately leads her to stab her finger. The water in the sink, “flat and gray” (1357), symbolizes the essence of their conversation, dark and hopeless. Towards the end of the story, the husband cleans the house as it was when they first moved in, which symbolizes how their relationship returns to the beginning when they were