Waterbabies by adam lefevre

Introduction: Waterbabies by Adam LeFevre This is a play about two mothers Liz and Emma who meet at a place of training children to swim. Liz is portrayed as an interested mother while Emma is portrayed as the trainer of the facility.
Liz is portrayed as an anxious character and this is evidenced by the fact that she has visited Emma to enquire if her eleven month year old son is ready to be trained to swim. Emma on the other hand is portrayed as a very forgetful person and she is also portrayed as a carefree person. This can be evidenced when she tells Liz that she does not quite remember the name of the boy she is holding on her lap and also tells Liz that she does not have any space for Liz’s son and she had to wait until one of the children either drops out or drowns.

Character contrasts of Liz and Emma
Liz is portrayed by the playwright as a caring mother who is anxious about the safety of her son. Emma is portrayed as a carefree person and also a forgetful person.

” Liz: I’ll Whisper.” (LeFevre, 35)
This is an indication that Liz is caring enough to note that her commotion when she was entering would have disturbed the sleeping child on Emma’s lap. In her attempt not to disturb the peace that she found in the room, she tries to keep the levels of the noise law.
” Liz: Have you been doing this a long time.” (LeFevre, 37)
This statement is used by the playwright to show Liz anxious attitude towards the safety of her son. This statement is portraying the fact that Liz would only trust her son’s safety with someone who had a lot of experience in dealing with children especially in such dangerous grounds as swimming is concerned.
” Emma: His eyes are open. I don’t know.” (LeFevre, 35)
This statement by Emma is a response to Liz question of whether the child on her lap is asleep. This statement is used by the playwright to show how Emma has a carefree attitude towards other issues which are brought about in the play especially where she tells Liz that Duncan would only find a place if one of the children drops out or drowns.
” Emma: Don’t worry. Once he is down, he sleeps like a like a lo like a law Damn! Like a lull.” (LeFevre, 35)
This statement is used by the playwright to show how forgetful Emma is and this can also be evidenced by other instances like when she forgets the name of the child on her lap.
The above examples show how Liz is portrayed as a caring parent and also an anxious parent about the welfare of her son. On the other hand, Emma is portrayed as a carefree person and also a forgetful person who cannot remember some very basic things like the name of the child she is holding on her lap.

Conclusion
The playwright has used the storyline of the play to clearly indicate and portray the characteristic traits of the two characters in the play. It is important to note that the play consists of only two characters who are Liz and Emma. While Liz is portrayed as a caring and safety conscious mother who is clearly anxious about the safety of her son, the playwright displays Emma as a carefree person who cannot remember some basic things which are very important especially in her job as a waterbaby trainer.

Works Cited
LeFevre, A. Waterbabies.