In our society, we are confronted with new advancements in medical technology on an every day basis. Researchers are unlocking the keys to our system and mapping out the coordinates of our brain, and further analyzing how everything works inside it. Up until the 1900s, this practice was unheard of because of ancient techniques and superstitions that have held our society back. However, with these advancements come the increased treatments for our most debilitating diseases. Anne Tyler's "Average Waves in Unprotected Waters" as well as Louise Erdrich's "The Red Convertible" express ultimate despire their characters during a time which these treatments didn't exist. Although the natures of their illnesses are not alike, the time period in which these individuals lived well as many social, emotional, and financial restraints made seeking effective treatment impossible and their final actions ultimately justified.
	Each of these main characters in the stories cope with a debilitating illness that affects their lives on a day-to-day basis. Although it is not explicitly mentioned by name, one can infer by using context clues that Anne Tyler's character Arnold in "Average Waves in Unprotected Waters" suffers from the what we believe to be the genetic disease of Autism. On the otherhand, Louise Erdrich's character Henry in "The Red Covertible" suffers from the curable illness we know today as Post Tramatic Stress Disorder. Autism is typically known as a social disorder that inhibits one's ability to communicate or interact with the world in a meaningful way. We see this through Arnold as Bet's attempts to communicate with him fall on seemingly deaf ears, even though he acknowledges her comments in another fashion when "...his gaze turned wild" (Tyler 593). This illness not only affects him, but it also affects the people around him. Bet is essentially forced to "...wonder about her worth as her mother" (Taibal, Vol 17) while she tries to take care of him as well as treat his illness. Bet, however, is not the only one inconvienced by a mental illness in their life. We see this inconvience also experienced through Lyman Lamartine with his brother Henry. Henry, returning from the vietnam war, returns devoid of life. We are led to believe that Henry is suffering from a mental illness related to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD occurs when someone experiences a life changing event, and symptoms of this are "...recurrent flashbacks, nightmares, impaired concentration, and/or emotional numbing.." (!!!!!NOTE TO SELF: CITE THE PSYCHOLOGY BOOK!!!!!!) Lyman expresses his discontent by describing Henry as "...very different, and I'll say this: the change was no good" (Erdrich 120). 
	Two of the main characters in each of these stories are connected in the nature that both of them share a disease that impacts not only them, but also their family. Although initially excited about Henry's return from the Vietnam war, his family struggles to cope with his personality change. We are to understand that Bet feels this same way with her son, Arnold. Although Arnold's birth is was blessing, we learn that Bet is disappointed when she learns the truth about Arnold's mental wellbeing in that when his father walked out, "She wasn't surprised. She even knew how he felt, more or less" (Tyler 595). Bet struggles immensely with raising Arnold, not only because of the emotional difficulties of being a single mother, but also because of the financial struggles as well. From the initial description from the opening of the story, We are to believe that Bet isn't financially well off by any means. She lives in a small apartment, that would only be used to take care of one person, however, this is also used to take care of a second child. The biggest problem with this is the child suffers from a mental handicap. Lyman and his family, however, are believed to be much more fortunate in terms of a living quarters when they have to deal with their mental handicapped family member. Henry has the luxuries of a mother, a color television, a loving brother, and a car for his own use whilst poor Bet is trapped within her own one roomed apartment walls with just herself and Arnold. Although Henry does have the financial luxuries of living in a well-to-do family that will take care of him for the time being, that was not enough to sooth the pains that Henry felt. Lyman attempts to bring his brother back to reality through material possessions, however this does not work. Pratima Dutta, a critic, points out that "The television set fails to cure his brother for the simple reason that a Native American soul needs native healing" in her critical essay about the story. In the end however, regardless of the financial and emotional state both Bet and her son Arnold, as well as Lyman and his brother Henry, have to make a decision on how to take control of a situation that is slowly slipping out of their control.
	These characters, although different in cultural situations, have to choose a scenario which can alleviate the pain which is placed upon their families, and themselves. Although these decisions can be viewed as drastic, the ultimate resolutions is ultimately justified based on the circumstances that surround them. Bet is obviously impaired in her decision making ability because of her financial scenario. Bet is a single mother, living in a cramped apartment, with a mentally handicapped son. Taking care of her mentally handicapped son is a financial burden, but also an emotional burden. As we are led to believe, Bet's only defense mechanism against Arnold's tantrums is to hope that everything will go right for him. Along with questioning her competency as a mother, Bet has a deep down feeling of guilt that this deficiency was based on her, as critic Erika Taibl points out in her critical essay on the story. As Bet grows older, and Arnold grows up, She will have no possibility to control him as she grows frail. Bet's only option consists of dumping Arnold off in a state hospital, where trained and licensed professionals will be able to care for him in a conditioned and stable environment. Lyman and his family, however, do not have this luxury regarding their brother. As Indians living in the post-vietnam era, they are stationed on a reserve where "there were no Indian doctors around" and unforunately, because of a promiscuous past of the mother, she felt the only qualified specialist on the reservation would "take revenge through her son". They also rule out the option of bringing him to a hospital for social fears of them keeping him like the ultimate decision Bet makes when she dumps Arnold off at the state hospital. All of these circumstances combined into one makes Henry realizes that proper and permanent rehabilitation is only a dream, and there is only one way out of it: suicide. Henry's action seem quite drastic, however a native american living on a reservation without any support groups or hospitals, and an unreliable wise man, left him two options: suffer for a long time, or suffer for a short time.
	In a time where medical treatment for these illnesses were unheard of, and not much was known how the human genome worked, Henry and his family, as well as Bet were unforunately trapped by many social, emotional, and financial circumstances. Although the latter does not apply to Henry because of other fortunes, he is still treated the same as Arnold in regards to being helpless in deciding his own fate. Henry and his family were stuck to a reservation, and believed that the hospitals had no possibility of effective treatment for a time where indians were not thought of in a positive light. Bet however, had these luxuries of hospitals, and unforunately she had to utilize them when it became apparent that she could no longer financially or emotionally support Arnold as he was growing due to her own frailities as well as the guilt she had growing inside of her regarding his defect. In both cares of Henry and Arnold, would it have been right for someone without licensed care or professional knowledge to attempt to minimize the problems associated with their illnesses by observing what was going on? The answer is no, despite many emotional pleas by parents who believe that "a mother knows best". Although the natures of their illnesses are not alike, the time period in which these individuals lived as well as many social, emotional, and financial restraints made seeking effective treatment impossible and their final actions ultimately justified.