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1. Why is Mimi upset after her husband's phone call in the beginning of "The Lovely Leave"?

Mimi is upset by her husband's phone call because she has been waiting so long to hear from him and begs him to talk with her for a few more minutes. Instead he speaks to her only briefly, saying that the other men need to use the phone. She is upset because he obeys the requests of the men behind him in line rather than her request to talk a little longer.

2. Why is Mimi upset by her husband's compliment about her black dress in "The Lovely Leave"?

Mimi is upset when her husband compliments her dress because he does not recognize it as a new dress that she has purchased especially for this occasion.

3. How does the woman in "Arrangement in Black and White" characterize her husband?

The woman in "Arrangement in Black and White" characterizes her husband, Burton, as a bigot who would be scandalized by her friendliness toward African Americans. She speculates about how he will react when she tells him that she has met Walter Williams, a famous black musician. According to her, Burton is "awfully fond of colored people," but would not sit at the same table with an African American. She also cannot wait to see his reaction when she tells him that she shook Walter Williams' hand. Although she criticizes her husband's bigotry, she unwittingly exposes her own prejudices as she speaks to the host of the party.

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