Kevin Gable

8/30/10
Engl 1167

Communication

Drinking Coffee Elsewhere is a very interesting story that brings up a number of thought-

provoking issues in a relatively short format. Among these are questions of race, identity, and

stereotyping. The narrator of the story is a young woman named Dina who feels lonely and

confused in her new surroundings. As a poor, African American female at Yale (which the

narrator portrays as a rich, male, and subtlety racist institution) she has difficulty adapting to the

expectations of the university. From the very beginning, her differences set her apart from her

classmates, until, from her point of view, she becomes a pariah, invisible and despised by the

community. Of course, one must view these complaints with some skepticism. The narrator

deliberately isolates herself with off-hand comments and antisocial behavior. She seems to take

pride in her jarring attitude toward authority and friendliness. Only on rare occasions do we see

her treated poorly by the other characters. While her behavior is rude and obnoxious, they seem

to be welcoming and sincere in their attempts to reconcile her depression. It soon becomes

apparent that Dina finds comfort in her intentional isolation. She takes some satisfaction from

stereotyping others unfairly and irrationally, since stereotypes provide a simple and lazy detour

around human interaction.

The narrator in Drinking Coffee Elsewhere has many problems with communication that

prevent her from forming healthy relationships. During her sessions with the school psychiatrist,

his probing questions provide a window into some of the difficulties she has. One of his most

insightful statements is that Dina’s constant deceptions and dismissals have accustomed her to an

offensive reaction. Whenever someone asks her a question her response belittles and mystifies
them. Because she has set herself up for this attitude it is a natural custom. For example, in the

first few pages, during an exercise designed for incoming freshman, the students choose an

object they would like to be. The game inspires creativity and helps the freshmen get to know

each other. Dina, disgusted by her classmate’s insipid choices, states that she would be a

revolver. This response, obviously meant to shock and discomfort her peers, earns Dina her

psychiatric evaluations. Many other examples occur throughout the story. In a meeting with the

psychiatrist, the doctor asks Dina about her sexual history. This question create tension in

different ways, such as sexuality, class, relationships, and shame. Typically, Dina invents a

ridiculous story about losing her virginity spontaneously and foolishly. Because of her

stereotyping attitude, Dina assumes that the white, male doctor would expect her, a poor, black

girl, to do these sorts of things. She derails what could have been an important and intriguing

discussion of Dina’s insecurities into what she thinks the doctor expects. Later, he calls this

attitude her survival mechanism of a “black living in a white world.” It’s an interesting assertion,

if not entirely fair to the people of all races who succeed without such pointless and insulting

tactics.

Ultimately, Drinking Coffee Elsewhere is a story of regret. At the end of the tale, Dina

gives a heartfelt reminiscence of her college days, now long past, and the opportunities she

missed and friendships she broke. One person in particular, Heidi, could have been a close and

important friend. Instead, Dina’s harsh and unpleasant demeanor severed a deep connection. In

fact, Dina’s quick and thoughtless speaking leads her to belittle the death of Heidi’s mother. This

error draws attention to Dr. Raeburn’s original warning: that Dina’s tendency to speak nonsense

would become an unfortunate habit. The warning applies to the reader as well, encouraging us to

speak thoughtfully and honestly in all human interactions.