Bucket Of Blood Katherine Waugh Analysis

Being Unique Before Fitting In
During the 1950s, a majority of women were expected to live up to certain standards. Each member of the family was expected to act a certain way and fit into the mold of society. Woman in the 1950s typically did not look at a man on the side of the street to see what is inside a bucket, let alone even stop to ask what is in the bucket. But the mother in “Bucket of Blood” written by Katherine Waugh displays a different approach to life and her family. She displays how every family is unique and it is okay to be the one that stands out. This theme is developed through the mother yet deciding to stand out and do life her own way.
As a woman, the mother in this story is expected to act like everyone else. Women in

She has a stronger stomach and a different mindset than a majority of other women. For instance, in the text, it states: “Other mothers would have fainted at the sight of a bucket of blood; the bravest might have shuddered and passed by, but not this one!”(532). Basically, the author is saying that this mother had determination and was not easily grossed out by blood or odd species. The reader can interpret this to mean that the mother in this story is a brave woman who does not fit into the social norm.This is something that many readers find pleasing. To illustrate this theme the author describes that: “She had driven through a forest fire, gone boating in a hurricane, swum across riptides”(532). In other words, she is not someone who runs from change or opposition in life and is not afraid of a simple bucket of blood that contains a swamp rat in it. It seems that this is a type of woman that conveys a different model and that is something that can definitely be learned from. It is very important to move outside of one’s comfort zone to be able to live a full and exciting life. As one can see, Waugh examines the way that a mother does the untraditional approach to life and ends up having an impact on those around