Don Birnam is disappointed. He's disappointed that he's thirty-three and still not a famous writer. He's disappointed that he's unable to stay clean and sober. And he's disappointed that he can't stop disappointing the people who love him, like his brother Wick and girlfriend Helen.
That's a lot of baggage. Over the course of The Lost Weekend, you'll see how this baggage weighs Don down, creating a brutal vortex of disappointment, embarrassment, and shame.
Questions about Disappointment
- Why did Don fail as a novelist? Explain your answer.
- How does Don react to others' disappointment?
- Are there healthier ways that Don could've dealt with his feelings of disappointment? What are they?
- How do Don's feeling of disappointment play into his cycle of addiction?
Chew on This
Take a peek at these thesis statements. Agree or disagree?
Don is so disappointed by his failure as a novelist because he knows that he has so much potential, as proven by his early success.
Don's feelings of disappointment fuel his addiction cycle, as these emotions often trigger his drinking episodes.