Deal Me in Challenge: The Waltz by Dorothy Parker (1933)

Card Drawn:

"Excuse me, may I have your hand for this dance?"

Call it luck of the draw if you will but I'm starting off with a really strong card as my first short-story for the Deal Me in Challenge (2020 edition). Having encountered the writing of Dorothy Parker once before during the challenge a few years ago with the slightly underwhelming story entitled "Oh! He's Charming!", it was a pleasant surprise to discover how much more I enjoyed The Waltz. The most striking aspect of this story is that the takes places entirely within the female narrator's own mind where the reader is effectually drawn into the glitz and glamour of an upper-class soiree through a clever series of impressions. Parker eschews with exposition or using many adjectives to set the scene; rather, the reader gets a clear sense of the context primarily through the narrator's flustered thoughts, feelings, and reactions. One can imagine a packed fancy ballroom venue with large chandeliers, sophisticated men and women dressed in their finest evening clothes while sipping champagne, people sitting around tables absorbed in conversation surrounded by clouds of cigarette smoke and a string quartet playing a beautiful concerto on stage. Yet, even though Parker provides none of these details, the strength of her writing is the ability to conjure up these kind of images solely through the narrator's funny, cheeky and cynical inner dialogue. 

We are immediately given the impression that she is a young woman at a dance and placed in the uncomfortable position of being courted by a man who is eager to win her affection. Much to her chagrin she wishes to be left alone but is socially obligated to accept his offer to dance, which she amusingly refers to as the "Danse macabre." In other words, this 'dance of death' obviously takes on a figurative meaning since she anticipates that it will be a painful experience akin to death but also hints at the possibility that the mere act of dancing with this man will ultimately lead to her own metaphorical death since she fears being forced into a relationship with him or even worse, marriage. Considering that this story was published in the New Yorker on September 2, 1933, a lot of women still lacked autonomy and were expected to conform to patriarchal gender norms. Now that I am a little more familiar with Dorothy Parker's work and thematic concerns, she is unequivocally a progressive feminist and not take kindly to men who assert power over women. Her social critique of female gender roles is unflinchingly caustic and is often quite comical laced with underlying dark humor.

In a series of playful and whimsical tableaus, we find out that the male partner is a terrible dancer and kicks her shin by accident. However, she interprets this gesture as a conscious act to flirt. Again, her reactions to the awkward situation and vehement chastising of the man in her head while dancing with him is very funny. She has to remain coy and apologetic, taking the blame for his embarrassing inability to perform the waltz but inside she is seething with resentment. She even describes his dancing as possessing a "degenerate cunning" and is perceptively aware about his true intentions, seeing right through the ruse. Poor girl, dancing with him is like being tortured in hell for all eternity. Her frustration and annoyance is palpable. She desperately wants to get away but is trapped. Additionally, she makes several football analogies, as if their dance is reminiscent of a rough game of scrimmage. She continually curses him out in her head as he knocks her over or gets his feet twisted up with hers in the dance but again, she must appear sincere and demure in his presence. Parker's derisive commentary and sardonic mockery of male chauvinism is the highlight of the story. Of course, the brilliant irony here is that she feels inclined to constantly compliment her male counterpart and ask him to keep dancing instead of truly speaking her mind or storming off in a fury. Parker does an excellent job of infusing irony, showcasing an acerbic wit and successfully writing a sharp satire on male and female relationships as they engage in the proverbial "waltz" of courtship.