Narrator
What point of view is Aquifer written in?
First person pov
Which motif is present throughout the chapter
Water
#1
If Aquifer was written in 3rd person, what would have changed?
What draws the narrator back to his childhood home and drive out of Angelus?
Unresolved trauma/memories, Guilt, the bones found in the swamp etc.
What is the setting of Aquifer
the neighborhood of his childhood, a then-newly developed suburb that has a swamp nearby
#2
How would the story have changed if the narrator told someone about the death of Alan Mannering?
Which childhood event most clearly haunts the narrator
Alan Mannering's death
What is an Aquifer?
a layer of rock, sand, or earth that contains water or allows water to pass through it
#3
Do you think the narrator’s silence on the death of Alan Mannering was because being stoic, not showing weakness, emotion or vulnerability was seen as a ‘manly’ trait? or is there another reason? why or why not?
Is the narrator reliable? Give one example
The narrator is partially unreliable because hs memories are filtered through nostalgia and guilt. He admits he "forgot" certain details about Alan Mannering
eg. Alan Mannering's death is downplayed and is described simplistically despite the effect the death has on the narrator.
eg. 2. "I actually could not remember that boy speaking to me" This selective memory suggests that his perspective may distort the truth, making him unreliable.
How does the narrator's adult perspective influence his retelling of childhood events
The narrator's adult perspective adds reflection, regret and moral awareness to his memories. Events from his childhood eg. swamp incident are filtered through his current understanding of guilt.
eg. "I hadn't willed him to die"
#4
Is the narrator trapped by his past and guilt or does he learn/overcome it in the end of the chapter?