Average Waves in Unprotected Waters

Tyler writes in medium diction, using common vocabulary and uncomplicated sentence structure, which mirrors the humdrum lives of her characters. The simple language creates a shell around these complex characters, deceiving the reader into thinking they are plain and benign, just as other people in their world view them as forgettable. Tyler uses a string of generic words to describe Bet’s possessions; Bet owns a “coat,” a “blue handkerchief,” a “table,” a “purse,” and a “suitcase” (32). The only modifier is “blue,” but Tyler does not specify a shade. These words depict Bet as an uncomplicated woman with stock items— not particular and easy to please. Throughout the story, however, readers learn that although Bet’s exterior may be basic, her interior is anything but. The medium diction creates a facade for Tyler’s characters, but it also attracts her target audience. Readers can relate to Bet, Arnold, and the others because they recognize their own world in Tyler’s language.

As another way to emphasize the peculiarities of everyday life, Tyler employs irony throughout the story. When Bet is preparing Arnold to leave in the morning, she is hyper-aware of everything she does and every intonation, afraid that he will be able to “pick it up” and will know “something is up” (33). She implies that she has to tread carefully around Arnold and pay attention to all the little details because “anything [can] set him off nowadays” (32), but the glaring irony is that her plan to institutionalize her son would be enough to devastate anyone. Later, as they approach the hospital, Arnold balks, and Bet thinks, “[M]aybe he [won’t] allow it, and they would go home and never think of this again” (35). Bet pushes the responsibility for her profound decision onto Arnold, reversing the roles of mother and child.