Don The Drinking Analysis

In addition to the physical and mental health issues, alcohol affects how Don behaves socially. How Don interacts with people while sober is entirely different then when he is drunk. Don describes this to Helen as him being two different people; “Don the drunk” and “Don the writer”. The writer half of Don is the successful and loving person he wants to be. Don the drunk is completely irrational and inconsiderate, doing anything to gain access to alcohol. Don speaks of the two halves as if they are fighting each other and that Don the drunk is winning. This drunk side begins to take over his social life, changing how he acts and thus how others see him. Mary Valmas mentions in her study on alcoholics that “alcoholism has been associated with
Don sacrifices the relationships he forms with those close to him, so that he may get closer to his inebriating liquid. The first person the alcoholism affects would be his brother. Wick chooses to provide for Don financially and emotionally because he loves him. Yet despite Wick’s love and care, Don puts drinking before their relationship. In the scene shortly after Wick leaves for the theater, Don steals the rent money to buy more whiskey. He then avoids going on the weekend vacation his brother had planned just so he could stay home and drink. Wick makes it clear he disapproves of his habits and does what he can to stop it. Wick went though the entire apartment to clear out all the alcohol Don had hidden. He even went to the people Don buys alcohol from and told them not to sell Don anything. He covers up for Don when he is in trouble. Don knows Wick loves him, yet he treats him as only an obstacle that he must overcome to reach his goal of drunkenness. Wick finally meets his wits end when Don does not show up to leave for the vacation, so he gives up and heads out. The only person to stay behind is Helen, who has not given up on Don since they