The Girls In Their Summer Dresses, a short story in third-person limited point of view by Irwin Shaw, tells of a young couple’s conflict with commitment and communication. On a sunny Sunday morning in New York City, Frances and Michael stroll arm in arm along Fifth Avenue making plans to spend an entire day together without interferences from the Stevensons or other friends. Frances sees that Michael’s attention is diverted to the many …showed first 75 words of 527 total…

…showed last 75 words of 527 total…him “keep it to yourself, I don’t want to hear it.” So that was the end and she suggests that they call up the Stevensons. Both Frances and Michael are well aware of their failing marriage but they chose to ignore it and that eventually puts a strain on their relationship. Shaw demonstrates that honest communication is crucial to a successful marriage, especially when two people have different ideas on the concept of marriage.