Waterland

Dick is expected to be “the saviour of the world” but is in reality a mentally challenged man-child likely born of incest. His innocent search for the knowledge of love ends in jealously, murder, and suicide. His existence in a separate, lonely world makes him appear wise in his own way, like “he knows something we don’t” (38), but it also invokes a certain “rugged pathos.” Dick’s physical prowess includes incredible agility and raw strength, both advantages and detriments that aid him in his destructive deeds. He is likened to a machine, specifically his motorcycle, the only thing he talks to; he is also compared to the pike fish, an aggressive killer that he clearly embodies in the physical world. Dick, the novel’s ultimate tragic character, is pitied because he understands so little of the “real” world and acts on raw, pure instinct to commit heinous acts that drive him to his end.

Henry’s stalwart nature allows him to withstand a family life fraught with strife. His “nocturnal restlessness” after his wife’s untimely death is symptomatic of his internal struggles and points to his dark side. His failure to communicate family secrets to his sons ultimately produces tragic results, and when he is ready to speak, it is too late. Henry is a throwback from another, simpler time when people believed in superstition, not education, and worked hard to survive. Henry is a hard worker, and his dedication results in a wife, two children, and relative security (such as a job and a roof over his head). Despite his drive, Henry suffers from the whims of fate (his wife dies and one of his sons is mentally disabled). Henry’s fate is symbolic of the larger fate that the land suffers on account of the harsh climate in the Fens. He does love his family, though, and is loyal to them until his death.

Helen exemplifies the ideal woman, with striking beauty and a nurturing spirit; however, her complicated past comprises the family secret Henry conceals—her incestuous relationship with her father, Ernest. Her open heart allows her to love both her father and Henry. She hopes the agreement she strikes with her father will produce something wonderful, but it brings sorrow and misfortune instead. She is a skillful storyteller, and Tom inherits that knack from her. Her early tragic death highlights Tom’s anxiety, as she contracts the flu from him, asks for Dick on her deathbed, and dies with Tom thinking she will return.

Ernest is a renegade politician, innovator, and head of the New Atkinson Brewery and Atkinson Water Transport Company. His love for his beautiful daughter Helen is both tender and off-putting, as their incestuous union produces the mentally handicapped Dick. The impetus for most of Ernest’s actions is his fear of a catastrophic future both politically and personally, thereby reinforcing his rebelliousness. His highly unorthodox attempt to create the “saviour of the world” via incest ironically produces not a savior of life but a taker of it.

Mary’s character initially embodies innocence as the pious young Catholic girl heading for a convent, but she later serves as a femme fatale responsible for a host of unfortunate events and undue pain, and finally spirals into a morass of madness—perhaps schizophrenic—at the end. At age 52, a “lurking, latent, ripening like some dormant, forgotten seed” (41) arises within her, a desire to have a baby that compels her to steal one, leading to Tom’s demise as well as hers. Mary, first the epitome of purity as is suggested by her name, gives in to temptation and falls far from grace, ultimately paying dearly for her sins.

Freddie Parr—instigator, braggart, victim—serves as the catalyst for much of the other characters’ actions. His crude personality riddled with bravado and rowdiness leaves readers with little compassion for him when he is murdered. His exaggerations about womanizing are in direct opposition to Dick’s innocence concerning love. Ironically, Dick is the guilty party after complicated matters arise involving both boys—and Mary. After Freddie’s death, life becomes very different for Dick, Mary, Tom, and Henry, sadly with more death ahead.

Tom’s provocative student, Price is a well-rounded character with a multifaceted personality. Rebellious, conscious, perceptive, and intelligent, Price reminds Tom of Ernest Atkinson, as he possesses a revolutionary spirit that looks to the future, not the past. At first Price is a troublemaker, but he later becomes Tom’s staunchest supporter after understanding his plea to embrace history after they bond outside school. It is during this encounter that Tom calls Price his son, and their dynamic shifts from teacher-student to father-son, with Price symbolizing hope for the future.