Voyage in the Dark (end section)

As we discussed in class on Monday, we wondered why Anna would resort to alcohol throughout the course of the novel when times were hard. She would rather drink away her problems than face them head on. As a class we discussed the possibility that she is unhappy, that her unhappiness has led her to a depression. This may be because she left her home, is now in an unfamiliar place and has become emotionally attached to a man who does not love her back. Ethel even comments on her surprising change of mood when on pg. 144 she says, "This is a bit of a change--you laughing." And then again further down the page Anna and Ethel are having a conversation and Anna says, "Cheer up," only to get the response from Ethel of, "You're a nice one to tell anybody to cheer up." I feel as though much of Anna's unhappiness was brought on by herself and her outlook on life creating this character that appears to be uphappy and in a hole of despair throughout the majority of the novel.