Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death.

Though water is scarce, its absence dominates the novel, with the water motif shaping both the physical and emotional struggles of the Witting family. The characters focus on the lack of rain, the dwindling water supply, and the relentless dryness of the prairie. Water is essential for life, and its scarcity highlights the contrasts between abundance and deprivation, and hope and despair. Water, or more often, its absence, shapes the central conflict of the novel, emphasizing the harsh realities of prairie life while also serving as a metaphor for emotional sustenance. The drought serves as both a literal and metaphorical crisis, representing the fragility of life on the prairie and the relentless struggle of homesteaders. The dry and cracked land, brittle vegetation, and parched animals create an image of hardship, reinforcing the novel’s exploration of resilience. 

The drought’s impact is deeply personal, especially on Jacob, whose identity as a farmer and provider is threatened by his inability to control the land’s fate. It also fuels a growing unease in the children that Sarah doesn’t want to stay in a place where survival is uncertain. The lack of water thus symbolizes the family’s vulnerability, not just to the forces of nature but also to the emotional strain of separation and uncertainty. Sarah’s words, “It will rain […] It’s just the time before it rains that is hard. It always is” (16), reflect the emotional endurance required to survive hardship. Caleb’s homemade rain gauge, which remains empty through most of the novel, is a constant reminder of their plight but is also a symbol of their optimism that relief is possible.

Water’s significance is further reinforced in the letters Sarah receives from Maine and the eventual setting shift when she takes Anna and Caleb there. Maine is leafy, verdant, and teeming with water, unlike the parched plains. Yet, instead of finding joy in it, the children experience deep homesickness. Through this, the novel subverts the idea that water alone will bring happiness. While Maine is rich with water, the children are nevertheless emotionally parched, being separated from Papa and the prairie. The return of rain on the prairie in the final chapters marks a turning point for the family. It coincides with rebirth and renewal: Seal has kittens, and Sarah becomes pregnant, signaling the importance of water in the cycle of fertility and life. The long-awaited rain also reunites the family, symbolizing survival, healing, and the endurance of the land and the Witting family. Ultimately, water in Skylark is a representation of hope and the enduring strength of family.