Friendship
The theme of friendship is important especially in the modern world that Coover lays considerable stress on. The waitress seems to be unprotected, even alone in the first situation at her workplace. Today, when the tempo of life is furious, and life itself is full of rises and falls, we need someone to us. But the friendship is something we should work at, and the waitress is on the right way, caring about her new friend (…) wishing she could find someone to tell her troubles to who wouldn’t turn away.
Choice
The traditional theme of choice is worked through in the story. At the scene of robbery, the waitress is to make a choice: let the robbery complete and take money or disregard any desire for the money. Despite of being regarded as a thief, the waitress through the unwillingness of losing a free wish gains a victory. The author doesn’t provide us with the future consequences, just with the plans for night where there are no regrets and thoughts. The only way to right estimation of such choice is the context. She might have not done this, still she did – the hesitation moves back. Robert Coover asks for the choice in aspects of reality and fiction, real life and morality.
Beggars
A beardy panhandler, slumped against the building clutching a brown paper bag and a tin cup. Is it easy to make friends with such person? Today in most cases the homeless sounds like the end. But not in “The Waitress” case. The author choose among all the variants of friend the homeless person. Despite of the prejudices, he turns to be an interesting person retaining his dignity, the waitress feels well with him. And through this image the author raises the issue of the homeless and reminds about their value as humans.
