Alcoholism In The Days Of Wine And Roses

“Look at us. C'mon look at us! See? A couple of bums!” Joe exclaims to Kirstin regarding the harsh reality they are in. The movie The Days of Wine and Roses is about Joe Clay, who falls in love with Kirstin Arnesen. Despite having a happy and successful life, everything falls apart when Joe and Kirstin become alcoholics. Compared to Joe's alcohol problem, Kirstin's problem becomes worse towards the end of the movie. Kirstin Clay and Gass's mother and Malcolm Lowry are similar in that alcohol helps them cope with reality and desire of hurting themselves. Kirstin Clay drinks to alleviate her pain similar to William H Gass's mother in "The Doomed in Their Sinking." In the movie, Joe introduces alcohol to Kirstin and she likes it because it makes

who choked on his vomit, evidently desired his [death], but did not intend it” (374). In the beginning of the movie, Kirstin does not drink alcohol before because her father forbids her from drinking. Towards the end of the movie, Kirstin's obsession for alcohol ruins and corrupts her, because she has incorporated alcohol into her life and can't go on without it. Her desire for alcohol has changed her. At the end of the movie, she has two perspectives of the world: a sober and drunk view. When Kirstin is sober, she sees how “dirty” and disgusting everything is, and compares the world to the dirty water at Fisherman's Wharf. However, when Kirstin is drunk, she sees the world differently and escapes reality and enjoys the time that she is having. Another quote that can describe Kirstin is Malcolm Lowry's quote, “When the doomed are most eloquent in their sinking, it seems that then we are least strong to save” (382). Malcolm Lowry's quote relates to Kirstin, who is constantly sinking, since she is too stubborn to realize her problem and believes she is fine. Joe tries to assist her, but she refuses, despite Joe being happy and successful in his life by being