The River Has Roots

Analyze the style and tone of the narrative. How does the narrator’s storytelling style impact the reader’s engagement with, or understanding of, the text?

Consider the first and last names of the sisters Esther and Ysabel. How do their names contribute to their characterizations?

Samuel Pollard is a “gentleman farmer,” whereas the Hawthorns tend the willows on the River Liss. What are the symbolic implications of these two occupations? How do they support the novel’s themes?

What do the songs interspersed in the novella contribute to the narrative? What do they reveal about the characters, plot, or themes?

The River Has Roots alludes to many myths and folktales beyond the ballad that inspired it; for example, Pollard’s transformation into a tree echoes the story of Daphne and Apollo from Greek myth. Choose one such allusion and discuss how the novella adapts the source material, as well as the significance of any changes.

Compare and contrast Pollard and Rin. What language does the novella use to characterize each of Esther’s suitors? How do such descriptions contribute to the novella’s exploration of patriarchy?

Consider how the novella describes time as functioning in Arcadia. How might this intersect with the theme of language?

How does the theme of language interact, influence, or complicate the other themes? What determines whether language is oppressive or liberating, or controlling or loving, according to the novella?