River Scene Pages 141-165

1. After reading pages 141-165 and watching the video clip, for each section,
summarize the events of the river scene using the timeline below.

2. Examine how your character describes the river itself. What does the image
of the river say about the emotions of the scene for your character?

Darl describes the river as a powerful force with a very negative and grim
connotation. He uses words such as “cold” and “violent” which portrays it as
something evil. This may be representative of Darl’s feelings, as well as the others
around him, in that it reflects their inner emotions that they do not communicate
with one another. They are upset and this is conveyed by portraying the water as
gruesome. Submerging her in the evil water may be symbolic of Addie’s pathway
into either heaven or hell. The fact that she was lost in the deadly river and unable
to be taken to where they wished to bring her symbolizes her pathway to hell
opposed to heaven. Darl may acknowledge this and portray the way as negative
because of this.

3. Examine the verbs your character uses in the scene. How do the verbs help
 to describe the events of the scene?

“Suck” and “boil” are verbs used to describe the force of the river. Boil
juxtaposes with cold water. The river can be seen as the threshold between
life and death because the characters disappeared in the water. These verbs
work to emphasize the negativity and evil nature within the river.

4. Examine the sentence structure and punctuation your character uses. How
does it reflect your character’s emotions and/or the events of the scene?

Darl uses long, descriptive sentences to characterize the river. This works to
create a vivid image of how the river looks to the character, and the words he
uses with a negative connotation works to portray it as evil. This negative
descriptive is significant because it is a reflection of Darl’s internal emotions,
in that he fears the river and its evil nature, and he is upset and mourning.