An Analysis of Touching Bottom by Kari Strutt

In the story, “Touching Bottom” by Kari Strut, the theme is to not give even when one hits rock bottom. This is demonstrated in the story when, Ian is drowning in the ocean because the current is dragging him down and he is unable to swim due to a cramp development in his leg. Saving Ian is very challenging for the narrator because at one point Ian is struggling to keep his head above water and while doing so he accidental pushes the narrator below, deep into the ocean and now she is having difficulty breathing and striving to survive.

In order to save herself from drowning, the narrator pushes herself further down into the ocean and realizes that the bottom was not actually as far as she had assumed. After she resurfaces, the narrator has to swim with Ian on top of her to get him back to safety all while fighting against a current. At one moment the narrator thought she could not continue and she asks Ian to swim for himself but he is unable to do so. At that moment she feels like she has hit rock bottom because she is not able to swim much longer due to her aching joints and emerging injuries such as; big bleeding welts on her arms and back, and a plundered shoulder.

Throughout the course of this life-changing experience, the narrator has to watch her much older husband flirt with another woman on the beach without caring about their life-threatening situation. However, she has a flashback, that motivates her to keep swimming to save her stepson and eventually she finds a human willing to lend her his board to help bring Ian back to shore. In conclusion, while struggling to stay alive and rescue Ian, the narrator felt that she had hit rock bottom at the beach and In life but she fought through It all and moved.