 In typical Lichtenstein fashion , the tragic female is presented " in a suspended state of distress . " According to Janis Hendrickson , the subject 's head appears to rest on a wave as if it were a pillow and lies in the water as if it were a bed , creating a blend of " eroticism and final resting place " . The waters of the sea swirl around the subject 's waves of hair creating the perception of a whirlpool . The painting is representative of Lichtenstein 's affinity for single @-@ frame drama that reduces the viewer 's ability to identify with it and that abstracts emotion . His use of industrial and mechanical appearance further trivialize the sentiments , although the painterly touches add to its simplification . 
