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

Augusten’s relationship with Pighead and Donna’s relationship with her partner. Anytime Donna is with her partner, she is drunk. Although they live together, Donna states that she is “not sure [that her] writing schedule and her drinking schedule will allow for” a sober interview (255). The fact that they cannot have a sober conversation for a few minutes displays alcohol’s prominent position in their relationship. It shows that the partner puts the priority on her drinking rather than their relationships Similarly, alcohol puts a strain on Augusten and Pighead's friendship. Augusten acknowledges that "'I have to go,' are probably the four words [he] use[s] most with him. The thought that normally accompanied these words was, Because I need a drink" (104). To Pighead, this relays that Augusten does not care about him as much as he cares about alcohol, as revealed by his comment that "everything's more important than … Pighead.' As usual" (104). In both relationships, people come second to alcohol. The addiction of Donna's partner and Augusten restrict them from developing deep relationships and dominate their interaction with the people they love.
The two pieces show that alcohol also controls the daily lives of alcoholics.

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.
In contrast, Augusten’s social life revolves around drinking outside of his apartment. He drinks extensively in his apartment, as evidenced by the fact that it is “filled with empty liquor bottles. Not five or six. More like three hundred,” but he also seems to go out most nights (70). His entire friendship with Jim is built around alcohol, and Augusten goes so far as to state “that part of what bonded Jim and [him] in the first place was that our jobs were a major reason [they] drank” (139). Drinking is a major part of Augusten’s relationship with one of his closest friends, and thus it dominates their time together. When they are not at work, both Donna’s partner and Augusten are drinking. The volume of their consumption keeps them intoxicated for most of the day, if not all day, until they begin to work again. Therefore, alcohol dominates their daily lives. Neither Augusten nor Donna’s partner can go a day without drinking copious amounts of alcohol. This fact shows the strength of their addictions.
The biggest difference between Augusten and Donna’s partner is the fact that Augusten successfully stopped drinking.

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

not do the same for her. Augusten remains sober without Pighead, but without her previous lover, Donna’s partner does not remain sober. This shows that differences in personalities can impact a person’s success with sobriety. It also displays the strength that alcohol has over both Donna’s partner and Augusten. Despite the fact that both think that they can give up alcohol whenever they want, they struggle to remain or cannot remain sober . These similar struggles reveal the power of addiction and that the strength of a person’s will has a major impact on their success with sobriety.
Dry and “Sleeping with Alcohol” reveal several facts of life for an alcoholic. Drinking impacts interpersonal relationships, particularly romantic relationships, and their daily lives. The similar struggles of Augusten and Donna’s partner to remain sober reveal how difficult it is to remain sober. They also reveal some ways that the experience can be unique, such as the impact on their work lives and their success with long term sobriety. Addiction to alcohol proves to be one of the strongest forces, if not the strongest force, in their lives, something surpassed only by love. Even then, that love must be very strong to have a lasting impact and ward off relapse. Therefore, Dry and “Sleeping with Alcohol” serve as reminders of the strength of alcohol addiction and of the strength of love.