So Much Water So Close to Home

“One of the men—my Stuart didn’t say which—said they should start back at once. The others stirred the sand with their shoes, said they didn’t feel inclined that way. They pleaded fatigue, the late hour, the fact that the girl wasn’t going anywhere”

The men’s apathy is visible in the way they “stir the sand,” almost absentmindedly. They view the presence of the dead woman as both an inconvenience and an intrusion on their fun, but not as a cause for alarm, highlighting Gender Norms’ Harmful Effects on Women.

“Gordon Johnson said the trout they’d caught were hard because of the terrible coldness of the water.”

While the river water is cold on a literal level, its temperature also symbolizes danger and death. The “terrible coldness” is something Claire has come to associate with rivers due to the murdered woman of her childhood. The men’s dissatisfaction with the fish’s “hardness” suggests that the discovery of the woman’s body has “spoiled” what would have otherwise been a fun-filled trip.

“It was Stuart who made the call while the others stood around in the sun and listened. He gave the sheriff their names. They had nothing to hide. They weren’t ashamed.”

Stuart is the one who takes initiative to right the situation. His friends passively allow him to do so, maintaining their innocence staunchly. Claire seems to use the men’s precise language (“They had nothing to hide. They weren’t ashamed”) in her retelling of the event, demonstrating how Stuart attempted to persuade her of his innocence.

“In bed he put his hands on me again and then waited as if thinking of something else. I turned and opened my legs. Afterwards, I think he stayed awake.”

The sex that Claire and Stuart engage in is quick and perfunctory. Stuart views Claire as a means of fulfilling his physical desire and little more. That Stuart does not fall asleep but instead thinks silently suggests he is mulling over the discovery of the body. His inability to push the incident out of his mind serves as further proof of his guilt to Claire.

“I look at the creek. I’m right in it, eyes open, face down, staring at the moss on the bottom, dead.”

Rivers and their symbolic association with death are unavoidable for Claire. She sees herself in both the dead girl of her childhood and the murdered woman encountered by Stuart. Here she pictures herself as a murdered woman, possibly at the hands of her husband.

“So much water so close to home. I say ‘Why do you have to go miles away?’”

Claire frequently reinforces the symbolism of water and rivers. On a literal level, she finds it unnecessary for Stuart and his buddies to travel to fish when fishing opportunities exist much closer to the couple’s home. These lines also convey Claire’s skepticism that the purpose of the trip was truly to fish and not to murder the now-dead woman. Further, because Claire associates water with danger and murder, her reference to its closeness reflects her anxiety about having a potential murderer under her own roof.

“He tries to concentrate on the road. But he keeps looking into the rear-view mirror. He knows.”

Stuart is distracted. He seems concerned that someone (possibly the police) may be following him, a further indication that Claire’s suspicions may not be groundless.

“That night I make my bed on the sofa, and in the morning I get up first.”

Claire rejects Stuart’s sexual advances by sleeping separately from him—an instance of Isolation as Protection and Vulnerability. This action conveys what she does not speak aloud: that she feels uncomfortable and unsafe in his presence. That she wakes before he does is her method of monitoring his actions.

“I wake Dean, and the three of us eat. Whenever Stuart looks at me, I ask Dean if he wants more milk, more toast, etc.”

Claire intentionally avoids engaging with Stuart, not affording him the opportunity to inquire about why she slept apart from him. This avoidance parallels the approach Stuart takes earlier in the story as he refuses to speak candidly about the discovery of the body.

“I pull over and shut off the motor. I can hear the river down below the trees.”

The drive to the funeral further illustrates that women are rarely safe. Initially, Claire revels in the scenery, but a tonal shift occurs as the river makes its proximity known. Her knowledge of her vulnerability is inescapable.

“He looks at my breasts, my legs. I can tell that’s what he’s doing.”

The driver of the pickup truck symbolizes the vulnerability Claire feels in the presence of men. She senses that she is little more than a sexual object to men and is virtually powerless to prevent any advances or attacks.

“My head swims. I say, ‘They have friends, these killers. You can’t tell.’”

Even when provided with information that should exonerate Stuart, Claire cannot give up her suspicions. Mentioning the killer’s potential friends shows she has Stuart and his friends in mind. Indeed, Stuart may not be solely responsible for the murder, but he could be one of the “friends” who played a still-unknown role in harming the woman.

“He drains his glass and stands up. He says, ‘I think I know what you need.’”

Stuart habitually avoids addressing Claire’s fears and, in this case, uses sex to distract her. As before, he makes no attempt to entice her. His words are fraught with irony, as he has no real insight into what Claire requires to feel loved and protected.