In Alice Munro's "An Ounce of Cure" she is endangered by her innocence. Her innocence is disastrous because she knows nothing about alcohol. In her life, she had never seen anyone besides her father drink, and he would drink only a beer outside the house. Her innocence becomes a danger to her once she has to deal with her break up with Marvin. While babysitting, she believed that a drink would make her feel better. Being as innocent as she was she had no idea that most people dilute their drinks, she only knew the glass needed to be full. Her ignorance told her to fill the glass with the three different types of liquor. Her innocence/ignorance led to her downfall. Her entire explanation in getting drunk does not lie in only her ignorance it is in her inability to deal with her relationship in any other way. She drank because she believed it would give her an extravagant response. In other stories we have read people drink for different reasons. Characters in Hamlet drink because it is their choice of beverage. Wine was considered a delicacy and was consumed regularly on a day to day basis by the royalty and their guests. .
Many people in today's world drink. In fact, it is probably more common for someone to drink now than it ever would have been in the past. In my opinion, the greatest parallels exist in the drinkers of today with Alice Monro. Like Alice many people drink to make them feel better about something that has happened, is happening, or going to happen. Like Alice they believe that alcohol is somehow going to help with the problem, they are looking for those extravagant results. Alcohol itself has taken on a new face. In today's world alcohol has become more of a social drink, though some still abuse it, many look to alcohol to helping them enjoy the company of their friends.
