Setting and narrator

Here, is we talk about the setting and narrator of “Arrangement in Black and White” by Dorothy Parker.

Setting

Published in 1927, the short story is set in the United States in a time contemporary to its publishing.

The physical setting is a party in the house of a white host, held in honor of an African-American musician. The author only mentions a “crowded room”, and chooses to focus on the social setting, which is more relevant to the themes of the story.

Time and social setting

The time setting is closely connected with the social setting. 1920s US was still racially biased and divided despite the fact that slavery had been abolished in 1865. In the 1920s, segregation was practiced on a national scale; African-Americans and white Americans lived, worked, and studied separately.

The social setting of the short story explores aspects related to class differences and racial bias.

The protagonist and the h...