Response 1 for Schools of critisism: Feminist Lit.Theory

"Touching Bottom" by Kari Strutt

The message behind this story was very powerful, and the metaphorical term of "touching bottom" in this story is wonderful. The author portrays the main character as the ultimate female protagonist, who withstands physical and mental stress to reach a self realization and a permanent dignity boost.
The role of men and women in the family is strongly lopsided and clearly evident of stereotypical male incompetence. The women, the main character, has had some troubles in the past and has finally developed a maternal instinct and a love for her boyfriends son, she assumes the role of the caring and devoted mother in a troubling situation. The boyfriend, of whom you never really hear of until the hot volley ball girl scene (signifying his lack of importance) takes on the role of the confused, mid-life crisis enduring schmuck who has his priorities out of order. This makes the boyfriend shallow and unpleasant, leaving the true compassion to the woman.
The author must have had some sort of past experience with an unfaithful man, because the moral of this story seems to be, "The only man a woman can trust is her Daddy." The father is loving and inspiring, for it is he who offers the initial advice of "don't marry him", and it is also his words that the woman recalls in her desperate time of drowning to fight through. He helped her build the foundation of her strength, and when she faltered he was there to stand her up again and give her the support she needed. In many ways the author is showing that this is the ideal form of man, and the most trustworthy. The author also shows that women can come up with the strength to fight on their own, if they have reason enough too, like a child. The ending of the story is great because the reader has the satisfaction of knowing that a woman's love never goes without thankfulness, and signifies that true compassion for a child or for anything will earn you recognition and devotion. Touching Bottom was a great metaphor for any woman who is going through a tough time, and ends with the knowledge that though you may lose something in the process of drowning, you will gain many things in the long run, like respect, integrity, and a deeper understanding of ones self.