Focus this part of your answer on the second part of the source, from line 18 to the end.

A student said, "Dick's anger towards Mary is really unfair. The writer makes it clear that Mary is totally powerless in this relationship."

To what extent do you agree?

In your response you could:

• consider whether Dick's anger is unfair
• evaluate how the writer presents Mary and Dick's relationship
• support your response with references to the text.

I completely agree with the student's statement. The writer masterfully portrays Dick's anger as both disproportionate and deeply unfair, while simultaneously highlighting Mary's utter powerlessness within their relationship. The writer presents Dick's anger as unfair from the moment he enters. He arrives with his mind already made up, his face 'a mask of dust and fury', suggesting his anger predates any specific action of Mary's. His opening line, 'Wasting water again, Mary?', is an immediate accusation, and the verb 'snapped' conveys a sharp, aggressive tone. His anger is unfair because it ignores the context of the oppressive heat described earlier in the text, which has driven Mary to her 'small ritual'. He dismisses her whispered explanation, 'I couldn't bear it,' and counters with his own suffering, 'What about me...?', showing a complete lack of empathy. His criticism escalates from a specific action to a personal attack on her character – 'You're weak. You don't belong here' – which is cruel and unjustified, designed to wound rather than resolve a problem. Furthermore, the writer makes it clear that Mary is totally powerless in this dynamic. Her physical and verbal responses are consistently passive and defensive. She 'flinched' at his words and is described 'clutching the damp towel', a gesture of self-protection. Her voice is a 'whisper', 'barely audible', in stark contrast to his raw, snapping tone which eventually becomes a 'roar'. This contrast in volume and expression is a clear indicator of the power imbalance. The most powerful evidence of her powerlessness is her final silence. When he demands she 'Say something!', she has 'no words left'. Her inability to speak is not defiance, but a sign of being completely overwhelmed and defeated. The final simile, where she is a 'wilting flower in his desert' and his anger is a 'scorching wind', perfectly encapsulates this. She is fragile and vulnerable, while he is a destructive, overpowering force. The writer leaves no doubt that in this moment, Mary has no agency and no voice.