The Sweetness of Water

Harris’s novel is told through the point of view of an omniscient narrator, who follows a mostly chronological order in telling the story of the Walkers and the development of their farm in the post-bellum South. However, at regular intervals throughout the novel, Harris uses flashback via each character’s memory to reveal important characterization and backstories to help readers understand the plot. Harris uses the theme of memory as preservation of the past to demonstrate the passage of time and that despite the advancement of the culture and environment around them, their past will always shape who they are: “Reminders. These constant reminders. Of time lost, relations frayed” (96).

The theme of memory as preservation of the past begins in the first chapter when George tells Prentiss and Landry about Caleb’s death. The initial memory to which readers are made privy is George sending Caleb to the front lines and August returning home, dressed in civilian clothing to deliver the news that Caleb was dead. The narrator says:

something felt indecent about August’s evening wear: the frocked shirt, the pressed waistcoat with the gold timepiece hanging freely.