Similarities Between Alcohol And Donna's Partner

In both Dry and “Sleeping with Alcohol,” addiction to alcohol has major impacts on both Augusten and Donna’s partner. In particular, it affects their relationships and their daily lives. Both are also similar in their attempts to quit drinking and in the consistency of their drinking. However, Augusten and Donna’s partner are dissimilar in the environments in which they drink and in their success with ending addiction in the long run. Alcoholism and its impacts are unique to each individual, as seen in these differences. However, the similarities between the stories of Donna's partner and Augusten reveal the strength an alcohol addiction has over a person.
Alcohol plays a prominent role in an alcoholic’s relationships, as seen through

Every day, Donna and her partner follow a routine of “the track, the lateness of the hour, [her] casual, late-night surveillance… [and while her partner] drinks, [Donna] observes. You would never suspect that [they]’re into threesomes. But if you could see in the dark you’d see [Donna, her] lover, and alcohol” (255). They do not go out and spend time with other people. Donna’s partner’s addiction restricts her to activities involving drinking, but she does not want to pay for expensive alcohol, so she purchases cheap beer and drinks at home. Her aversion to purchasing expensive alcohol can be seen in her statement that a "really good [six-pack of] beer is around $6.00, but [she] never buy[s] that. Too expensive" (255). $6 for a six pack of beer averages to $1 per beer, which is much less expensive than a drink at a bar. Because she refuses to pay more than the minimum amount for her drinks, Donna's partner is restricted to drinking at home. Her addiction to drinking and her "routine" of drinking every night mean that she will not participate in sober activities (255). Thus, Donna’s partner spends all of her free time drinking in their home, thereby restricting the lives of both herself and

Donna’s partner claims that “love [would be the best incentive for quitting] … but that’s never enough” (557). She stopped for several years, then began drinking again. Her inability to stay sober displays the fact that she is dependent on alcohol and sees no reason to end it. However, Augusten was sober for several months, began drinking again, then permanently became sober out of love for Pighead and his wishes. Upon later reflection on Pighead's death and the end of his first attempt at sobriety, Augusten transitions between the period during which he drank "from the moment [he] woke up until [he] passed out" and his second attempt at sobriety with the statement "and then the pig head. From Pighead" (292). These comments reveal that Augusten closely associates the permanent end of his addiction with the pig head. While he does not immediately stop drinking after receiving it, Pighead's message that he wants Augusten to "now stop drinking" is an important catalyst (282). While this also reinforces that he is dependent on alcohol, it also shows that he was able to end his dependency out of love for someone, something that Donna's partner has thus far been unable to do. This displays a difference in the strength of their relationships and a difference in the people. Augusten gave up alcohol for Pighead because he loved him, but Donna’s partner will