Average Waves in Unprotected Waters

Much of the narrative focuses on Bet’s quest to be seen, both by the world and herself. Tyler exaggerates her domestic situation with the inclusion of a developmentally disabled child and the exclusion of a husband/father, but Bet’s story still reflects the plight of a middle-class American housewife in the 1970s. Bet’s isolation and dearth of connection are literal, but she stands in for the thousands of women who experienced that vacuum, even with a partner and a child who could interact and communicate. Through Bet’s eyes, Tyler explores not only the unrealistic expectations of a woman/mother/wife but also the daunting proposition of letting go of those presumptions.

The first time readers learn Arnold’s name is in the third paragraph when Bet tells him they are “going out”; up until that point, she refers to him with pronouns only. This has an alienating effect, paralleling the distance Bet tries to create between herself and the situation as she steels herself to abandon her child. This also emphasizes that while Bet pursues The Search for Identity for herself, she erases her son’s, foreshadowing how Bet’s new life will come at a cost.