67 pages • 2 hours read
Watt KeyDeep Water
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2018A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Themes
Resilience and Discipline
Through Julie and Shane’s characters, Key shows the necessity of resilience and discipline for survival in life-threatening situations. He implies that without these qualities, the two young people would likely have died before reaching the oil rig. Julie demonstrates exceptional resilience for a 12-year-old. From the moment she realizes the anchor has pulled, she remains calm and relies on the diving and ocean knowledge her father has given her over the years. Refraining from panic, however, takes discipline. Julie must remind herself to breathe slowly and fight against the overwhelming fear that threatens to cloud her judgment.
To highlight Julie’s resilience and discipline, Key juxtaposes her response to the emergency against that of Shane and his father. Shane seems dazed and in a state of shock when he first surfaces, and it takes a punch in the face from Julie to move him to listen to her and follow her instructions. Even then, he often starts to panic and lacks the discipline to simply obey her directions without question. Mr. Jordan demonstrates to a greater degree the downfall of a lack of control. Greedy from the beginning, he does not follow safety recommendations, and during his ascent, fails to use his pony tank properly because of his panic. At the surface, he is resistant to Julie’s efforts to help him and endangers the entire group during the shark attack. While Shane gradually grows in resilience and discipline, Mr. Jordan does not, and eventually dies as a result.
Shane’s character gradually increases in resilience throughout the novel. While on the oil rig, he recognizes his poor response to the emergency at the beginning and takes steps to share more responsibility for their survival with Julie. They work as a team, with Shane taking the lead on some endeavors such as searching the rig. Simultaneously, Julie has moments where her resolve to survive fades, and Shane encourages her, taking his turn as the strong one. By the novel’s end, Shane’s action-oriented mindset to take out the derrick light shows his transformation is complete. Despite his weakened state, he does not complain or pass the task to Julie; he clings to hope and puts his idea into action.
Although readers may not be likely to find themselves in a survival situation, the narrative suggests that resilience and discipline are essential skills for navigating life’s ups and downs. For example, Julie’s parents decide to give their marriage another try, and Julie’s relationship with Shane turns from hatred to close friendship. Personal relationships sometimes require resilience, dedication, and perseverance when things get hard. Furthermore, Key shows through Mr. Jordan’s character how greed and selfishness can cloud one’s vision of the principles one has learned to be true and right. Pride leads to an eventual downfall, while steady discipline and perseverance produce progress.
The Unyielding Force of Nature
Throughout their journey from the dive site to the rig, and to rescue, Julie and Shane are unceasingly at nature’s mercy. By showing nature’s unyielding force, Key reminds readers of their humble position in comparison with nature’s power. In a world in which constant technological advances can give people a sense of dominance over the natural world, Key’s narrative shows that nature has the final say; while humans have many means to stay comfortable and safe in nature, they are ultimately powerless should nature unleash the fullness of its strength.
Examples of nature’s power abound in the novel. Julie and Shane face dehydration, hypothermia, sunburn, hunger, sea-lice, mold, and storms, among other things. Whenever they start to get “comfortable,” or at least feel like they have a chance at survival, nature produces another challenge. Key uses figurative language to describe the physical and mental effects of such challenges so that the readers can understand the reality of human limitations in the face of nature. Furthermore, he highlights the ruthlessness of nature by adding scientific facts to Julie’s narration. For example, Julie explains what she knows about sharks, highlighting their instinct-driven nature and lack of emotion. Instances of scientific descriptions not only add to the reader’s knowledge about aspects of nature, but also highlight the dangers and wonders to be found in nature.
Alongside nature’s ruthless authority, Key also shows the beauty of nature, suggesting that even nature’s dangers are worth marveling at. During the lighting storm, Julie sees jellyfish glowing beneath her, a beautiful sight. She is also in awe of the fish that surround them on the surface during the feeding frenzy and notices the glow of the stars at night. Key’s descriptions of the beauty in nature show the reader that a healthy appreciation for nature should include enjoyment of its beauty. Furthermore, he often uses Julie’s thoughts and words about nature to demonstrate what a proper attitude toward nature looks like. Julie thinks of herself as a guest in Mother Nature’s world. She acknowledges that she does not have control over any part of the natural world; all she can do is respond to what happens. This mindset emphasizes a healthy respect for nature balanced with a commitment to do what one can in any situation. Key reminds readers of their place within the natural world, and of the care, respect, and awe nature deserves.
Family Relationships
Amidst the intense survival narrative, Key uses Shane and Julie’s family relationships as a subplot that helps deepen their character development. Furthermore, family relationships serve as a theme that emphasizes the importance of the people in one’s life over other pursuits such as money, hobbies, and even chasing one’s dreams.
Key uses flashbacks to provide information about Julie’s parents, their divorce, and the events that led to their separation. For Julie, the rift between her parents is a source of frustration and sadness that often comes to her mind. Shane’s family background is described through Julie’s observations of Shane and his dad, and through the things Shane shares about his parents. Shane’s poor relationship with his father helps Julie and the reader understand why Shane is initially unfriendly and argumentative. Knowing his background allows the reader to empathize with him. Moreover, Julie and Shane discuss their parents at times, and this helps bring them closer together and heal the earlier feelings of animosity. In this way, Key suggests that sharing about personal topics, such as family, has the power to bring different personalities together.
The change in Julie’s family relationships at the end of the novel suggests that life-threatening situations or the prospect of losing a loved one can drive people to recognize the importance of family in a new way. For Julie’s father, the possibility of Julie’s death leads him to reevaluate his life and priorities. He realizes Julie and her mother are more important than diving, the Malzon tanks, and his professional dreams. Julie’s mother also comes to accept that she is more of an observer than a dreamer, and this realization pushes her to restore her relationship with Gibson. Key shows that sometimes people lose sight of the most important things in life: relationships with others. Life-and-death situations have a way of clarifying one’s priorities and can create change within family relationships. However, such change need not be dependent on intense, life-threatening events. Anyone, at any time, can choose to reevaluate their priorities and make space for the things and people that matter most.
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