Unprotected Waters and Everyday Use comparison compare contrast essaysWoman’s Perspective in Average Waves in Unprotected Waters and Everyday Use “Average Waves in Unprotected Waters” and “Everyday Use” Unlike a great deal of literary works created by male authors with the predominant man’s viewpoint, the two short stories distinctively portray the woman’s world from the woman’s perspective. For instance, the events and conflicts in these two fascinating works are centered upon the domestic details of housekeeping, the education of children, marriage, and weaving quilts etc. Therefore, it is easy to assume that the two stories have much in common regarding those issues. However, it does not hold true in this case.
The point in question is that each work draws a totally different portrait based on region, culture and race. The protagonist, Bet, in “Average. . .
” is a white woman who lives with her mentally disabled son in an urban area after her husband ran away. Bet recalls her bitter past tainted with her wrongful judgement about her marriage and the deaths of her parents. Given that her son, Arnold, gets much wilder as he grows up, Bet decided to carry him to the hospital willy-nilly. In the course of the trip to the hospital, Bet shows her deep affection toward her son and at the same time, her past is revealed with the pensive mood suggesting that she has gone through a lot of agony, trouble, loneliness and helplessness in and around the household domain.
Despite her resolution to secure her own life, Bet ultimately loses everything: her husband, her parents and lastly her dear son. The emptiness she feels at the station, coupled with the bitterness with regard to her son, dominates Bet; however, she finds an escape from the unexpected oration at the station, thus helping her to forget those grievances and indulge in a temporary departure from tedious everyday urban life. In other words, this work reflects the stark reality a white woman faces in the urban life and simultaneously suggests American optimism. On the other hand, “Everyday Use” depicts an illiterate, masculine, black woman who emphasizes the tradition of the South
