62 pages • 2 hours read
Marian HaleDark Water Rising
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2006A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 1-6Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 1 Summary
Content Warning: The novel refers to Black people as “colored,” but this guide will use the term Black to follow the example set by Black scholars, writers, and journalists. The novel contains graphic descriptions of the aftermath of a natural disaster, including loss of life. It references ecological disasters and their devastating effects. The book references and depicts sexism and intense racism and oppression toward Black and Latinx people.
Seth and his family are moving to Galveston from Lampasas, Texas, a town near Austin that is around 270 miles from Galveston. The train is full of people excited to be going to Galveston, which “is fast becoming the New York City of Texas,” according to Seth’s Uncle Nate (3). Nate has promised Seth’s family that the city is full of opportunity and will make it possible for them to send Seth and his brothers to college. Seth wants to be a carpenter and does not want to go to college to become a doctor, lawyer, or engineer. At 17, Seth is the oldest child in the family. His mother often asks him for help with his four-year-old sister, Kate; Seth slightly resents this and wishes there was an older daughter who could take care of her instead.
The family arrives in the bustling city of Galveston and finds their Uncle Nate, who has brought a buggy and his Black hired man, Ezra, to help transport their luggage. The children have seen very few Black people and are startled by Ezra’s appearance. Papa tries to reassure Kate by telling her dogs and horses come in different colors, too; Kate points out Ezra is not a horse, but Papa says, “he’s not a horse […]. But colored folk aren’t much different” (10). The racist comment doesn’t sit well with Seth, who never before heard his father say anything unkind about a Black person.
Uncle Nate tells them about Galveston while they travel. He points out important businesses and locations and explains the slate roofs they see are an answer to “the Great Conflagration of 1885” that destroyed more than 400 homes (11). Seth sees many impressive sights and homes as they travel. He notices his father is as excited by what they’re seeing as Seth himself is. He knows neither of them will want to give up on their dreams for his future.
Chapter 2 Summary
Uncle Nate takes the family to his house, where they find his wife, Aunt Julia, and his two sons, Andy and Will. Seth’s two brothers, Matt and Lucas, are close in age to the cousins, so the four boys run off to play. Seth asks after the older cousin, Ben, who is close to Seth’s age; Uncle Nate says Ben is working as a grocery delivery person to save money before he starts college. Seth wonders if Ben is being forced into college the way Papa is trying to force him.
As the family settles in, Seth sees a beautiful blonde girl go into a cottage nearby. He hears his father mention his name and angrily thinks Papa is planning his life for him again. Uncle Nate tells Seth he found him a job working as a carpenter’s helper for the summer. Seth is very excited and thinks he can use the job to prove to his father he shouldn’t have to go to college.
Chapter 3 Summary
Ben comes home; Seth is excited to see him. The family has supper. Afterward, Seth finds himself sitting outside with the adults while the younger kids clean up the dishes. People walk around the city, many of them going to the beach to swim. Seth sees the girl again; Ben tells him her name is Ella Rose Covington and that she goes to private school. Ben tells Seth about some of the city’s landmarks, including the “Garten Verein,” which has “croquet greens and tennis courts […] clubhouse and bowling alleys, and the bright, octagon-shaped dancing pavilion tiered like a massive wedding cake” (23). They go to the Midway, where “the air sizzled with frying clams and frankfurters, and rang with shouts from swimmers and cries from excited gulls” (25). The beach is crowded with life and people. Seth feels like the whole city is there. He looks for Ella Rose but doesn’t see her. He feels a little silly for being so interested in her when they’ve never met. Seth enjoys himself and goes to bed late, excited to start his new life and his carpentry job.
Chapter 4 Summary
In the morning, Seth’s mother asks him to take Kate to the outhouse with him. Seth protests but finally agrees to take her. Seth notices Ezra gardening and watches him. When Ezra catches him watching, Seth waves. Ezra hesitates but waves back. After breakfast, the family travels to their new rental house. It’s a nicer house than they lived in in Lampasas, so Mama is excited. Seth tries to help carry their belongings into the house, but Uncle Nate stops him and says Ezra will do it. Seth is uncomfortable with this because he was always expected to help before, but Ezra takes the crate of dishes from him and says he’ll take care of it. As the family unpacks, their neighbors stop by to meet them and visit. Seth is surprised by how many of the families seem to have Black people as servants. In Lampasas, most of the hired help were “Mexicans or immigrants who spoke little English” (33). Mama meets a nice neighbor, Mrs. Vedder, and settles in happily. Seth finds their new environment harder to adjust to and thinks about how powerful the ocean nearby is.
On Monday, the family packs a picnic and goes to watch a parade in time. Everyone has a good time. Mama tells Papa, “The Good Lord has a reason for everything, Thomas, and I suppose there’s a reason for this move as well” (37). Seth thinks this must be why he got the carpenter’s job—so he could prove to his father it’s the right career for him. Seth starts the carpenter’s job the next day. He sets an early alarm but is too excited to sleep.
Chapter 5 Summary
Seth wakes to a passing thunderstorm. He walks a long way to get to his new job. He is the first person there, but he is soon joined by a young man a few years older than he is. The man introduces himself as Henry Covington and seems skeptical that someone as young as Seth could have any carpentry experience. Their boss, Mr. Farrell, soon arrives. He introduces a young Black man as Josiah and tells them he gave the other three members of the crew, the Judson boys, time off for their father’s funeral. Mr. Farrell tasks Henry and Seth with building a staircase. Henry is again skeptical that Seth has the skills to complete the work.
Chapter 6 Summary
Seth quickly discovers Henry is a good carpenter. He thinks this must be why Mr. Farrell puts up with his “thoughtless remarks” (45). As they leave, Seth sees that Josiah is walking in the same direction as he is. He hurries to catch up with Josiah, which takes the other man by surprise. Seth tries to talk to Josiah, but Josiah will not engage in conversation. Seth hopes to see the blonde girl on his walk home, but she does not appear.
When he gets home, Seth is greeted by his younger siblings. He gently takes Kate to help her wash up. Papa comes to ask Seth about his first day. Seth tells him it went very well. Papa doesn’t have much of a reaction, which disappoints Seth; Seth thinks about how Mr. Farrell praised his work and thinks about how Papa never makes those kinds of positive comments to the family. Seth feels bitter and upset about this.
On Wednesday, the Judson brothers are back. Seth likes the eldest, Zachary, very much. He finds the man to be a hard worker but also appreciates his “slow easiness” and the way he seems to listen to the lumber before cutting it (49). Zachary, Seth, and Josiah work closely and well together that day. Seth is surprised by how quickly the day passes and is proud of how much work his team accomplished that day. He walks home with Josiah again, but this time he finds out Josiah is Ezra’s grandson and lives with him in the small house behind Uncle Nate’s. Josiah calls Seth “sir”; Seth doesn’t like it. Seth reflects on the day’s work and thinks something bound the three men together, an “undercurrent that had been sleeping in [him] ever since [he] could remember” (52). He thinks that if he can live up to Zach’s example, even Papa will have to admit Seth is “a true carpenter” (52).
Chapters 1-6 Analysis
These early chapters establish the setting of Galveston, Seth’s characterization, and the theme of Systemic Racism Even Amid Tragedy. The family moves to Galveston because of the possibility found within the city, and the novel spends time describing how expansive and busy and happy it seems. Uncle Nate’s relative wealth astonishes Seth’s family; they are hopeful that they will be successful in the new city, too. Galveston’s rapid expansion creates opportunity for builders and carpenters like Seth’s Papa, whose new job as a supervisor may be a first step toward owning his own contracting business. The description is exciting but also creates dramatic tension for the reader, who knows that the city will soon be destroyed by a hurricane. The novel’s comparison of Galveston to New York City is historically accurate, indicating the promise and potential that Galveston held before its destruction. However, the racism present in the society is commented on from the start, as it is clear that the promise of the city does not translate to Black people. There is severe discrimination, even within Seth’s family, toward Black people, and the Black people who have moved to the town hope only for a modest life, knowing the prosperity is not reserved for them or their labor.
Seth is established as a thoughtful and conscientious young man, albeit with some prejudices, who values his family. He is poised between childhood and adulthood. The reader can see this tension in his interactions with his parents, particularly in the moments where he’s asked to care for his little sister, Kate. He feels that this is gendered work and resents the expectation that he will be available to take care of her at any time. This speaks to The Contribution of Different Forms of Labor to the Community, as by the novel’s end, Seth will in a way learn that all forms of labor are equal when contributed to the community and that different forms of labor are good for different people. He in a small way learns to overcome his sexist views of this kind of labor. This section of the novel also establishes the tension between Seth and Papa, whose plans for Seth’s future diverge wildly from Seth’s own. Whereas Papa sees college as a sign of success, Seth feels that carpentry is his true calling. Papa’s plans are driven by his desire for his children to be, in his view, stable and successful. Seth notices:
The vacant expression on Papa’s weathered face shifted. I saw a small glimmer of excitement, but it was the hunger in his eyes that finally made me clench my teeth with dread, the same kind of hunger that always sharpened his words and defined his face when he talked about his sons’ futures (5).
Though Seth dreads the idea of college, his father knows well the struggles of working a physical job for someone else. He wants his sons to have more security and financial independence. The possibility of starting his own construction business follows this line of thinking, too. Galveston offers the promise of college for the boys but also independence and business ownership for Papa.
The theme of racist oppression develops early in the novel, most explicitly in the family’s interactions with Ezra, Uncle Nate’s Black servant. The family is more accustomed to Latinx people than they are to Black people. Kate’s early response to Ezra, and Papa’s reply to her—that Black people aren’t much different than horses—reveals intense racism. Seth finds his father’s statement upsetting and checks to see if Ezra was bothered by it, but Ezra doesn’t seem to register it. This suggests that such statements are commonplace. Seth is also confused by the way Ezra’s presence changes his own circumstances. Typically, Seth has been expected to help with difficult physical tasks such as unpacking, but with Ezra there, everyone else seems happy to simply let the Black man do the work. This shows that, in this racist system, the concept of prosperity that Seth’s family is chasing in the town doesn’t translate to Black people, who will suffer from this racist system that puts them below white people.
Seth’s tenuous friendship with Josiah helps him to understand the restrictions placed on Black people in their society. Though Seth tries to befriend Josiah, Josiah remains aware of their differing places in society and maintains a respectful distance between the two of them. Seth’s overtures seem to puzzle Josiah, who has likely never been praised by a white person in the way Seth tries to praise him. Josiah maintains the formality of their relationship by calling Seth “sir” despite their same age. It doesn’t sit well with Seth, but Josiah knows the respect is expected of him and that there would be consequences for too much familiarity if the wrong people saw or overheard it. By misunderstanding this, Seth reveals how embedded this racism is and how even he, while being well-meaning, trivializes the experience of Black people in racist America.
These chapters end with the family feeling optimistic about their new lives in Galveston. Seth enjoys his carpentry work and hopes that he can use it to convince Papa that he’s not meant for college after all. Mama is excited about their new rental house and their friendly neighbors. The city bustles with potential and embraces the new family. While the characters enjoy and celebrate their new home, dramatic tension is created by the reader’s knowledge of the oncoming catastrophe. Although the novel doesn’t develop Individual and Collective Trauma and Healing much here, it does show the community of the town and Seth’s family to later make this trauma appear more poignant. Of course, this community doesn’t extend much to the Black people in Galveston, and even during the tragedy, most people will resist including them in this collective healing.
