Perspective

Augusten Burroughs is the author and first-person narrator of the nonfiction book, Dry. It is a memoir that describes his battle with alcohol over a ten-year period of his life, although events are compressed and combined to make the story more concise and interesting. He grew up in New England. His mother gave him away to her psychiatrist's family at a young age, and Augusten has a tumultuous life growing up. His father was an alcoholic and sometimes hurt Augusten during the father's blackouts. Augusten was also abused by Neil Bookman while living with the family. This experiences color Augusten's early life and are some of the contributing factors that make him an alcoholic. Augusten is living in New York City and working as an advertising executive at the time of the novel. His writing outlines his own personal experiences; instead of distancing himself by using a third-person...