Here We Are Genre

Satire

"Here We Are" is a pretty funny story, but it's not exactly comedy, because in the classic definition of the term a comedy needs to have a happy ending. And these newlyweds aren't exactly happy by the end of this story. In fact, nothing much has changed: these characters are as sexually frustrated, awkward, and unable to say what they want as they were at the beginning.

Nope, this story falls under the umbrella of satire. But what is it satirizing? The answer to that question—since you can't really tell us the answer, we being a faceless amalgamation of creative interpretation geniuses, and you being an unknown-yet-no-doubt-brilliant reader—is modern attitudes towards marriage, sex, and relationships.

Read the following paragraph and see if you can feel the satirical burn:

"You know, lots of times," he said, "they say that girls get kind of nervous and yippy on account of thinking about—I mean. I mean—well, it's like you said, things are all sort of mixed up and everything, right now. But, afterwards, it'll be all right. I mean. I mean—well, look honey, you don't look any too comfortable." (42)

See? These two innocent babes in the woods are in quite a tangle over the sexy moment-of-truth towards which they are speeding. The husband seems almost as nervous as his wife. Parker is poking fun at the way people (back then) were afraid to talk openly about things: her satire is targeted just as much at this marital failure to communicate as it is at sexual stuff.