So Much Water So Close to Home

Content Warning: This section of the guide references the graphic murders of women and features ambiguously consensual sex as well as general misogyny.

“So Much Water So Close to Home” depicts the disconnect between a married couple and the wife’s growing distrust of her husband. The tension between them is immediately evident, as the couple argues over whether to answer the ringing telephone. Claire is skeptical that Stuart has, as he asserts, given police all the information he has of the woman’s death. He says he “won’t have [her] passing judgement” (80), but Claire challenges him with, “You know” (80)—i.e., he knows something he isn’t saying, or he at least knows why others might suspect he does. Stuart is defensive and prioritizes what he views as his right to keep details of the experience private. His accusation of “passing judgement” shifts the focus away from himself and calls attention to Claire’s supposed wrongdoings. As the story unfolds, Claire grows increasingly certain that Stuart bears some responsibility for the death of the woman.

The lack of details about the woman’s death propels the plot forward, creating space for speculation about who the murdered woman was and what the circumstances leading to her death might have been. Indeed, such gaps in the text are characteristic of Carver’s short stories and their Dirty Realist style, which leave the reader to infer not only facts but also characters’ motivations. Because Claire narrates the story and was not on the fishing trip, readers can (like her) question the degree to which Stuart’s story of the body is true. Claire’s retelling reveals how little information she truly has: “One of the men—my Stuart didn’t say which—said they should start back at once” (81). Claire attempts to fill in the unknown details herself based on what she knows of her husband and his friends: “They played some cards later on. Maybe they played until they couldn’t see them anymore” (81). Despite her efforts to construct a complete narrative, the story stresses The Pervasiveness of Doubt and Deception.

The gaps in Stuart’s story reflect the couple’s relationship, which is fraught with miscommunication and detachment, as their terse dialogue reveals. Their exchanges often involves orders from Stuart—“Don’t rile me” and “Relax Claire” (83)—which suggest a balance of power unfairly tilted in Stuart’s direction. He feels no need to assuage Claire’s fear, nor does he promise to protect her from the threat of violence that exists in the world. This further alienates her, as she must cope on her own, and highlights the theme of Isolation as Protection and Vulnerability. Though there is no obvious reason why Stuart would harm Claire, his attitude makes him difficult to sympathize with, and his inaccessibility as a character (readers cannot see his inner thoughts) works to suggest that Stuart may in fact be hiding something.

The murder of the woman reminds Claire of a similar occurrence that occurred when she was a child: Gender Norms’ Harmful Effects on Women are ubiquitous and often extreme. Claire tells Stuart that “They cut off her head and threw her into the Cle Elum River” (83). That the presence of a river triggers Claire’s memory of this event is telling: The circumstances are reminiscent of Stuart and his group of buddies. The throwing of the body into the river serves as a counterpoint to Stuart’s tethering the body to a tree so the river wouldn’t carry it off. These parallels further cement Stuart’s guilt for Claire.

Though Claire is later informed that the perpetrator of the murder is not Stuart, she is reluctant to accept the words of the funeral-goer: “They arrested him this morning. I heard it on the radio before I come. A boy right here in town” (87). That the murderer is not an outsider underscores the danger that surrounds Claire—and by extension all women—at all times. The threat of violence is a very real and tangible one. That Stuart and his buddies might have somehow aided in the crime continues to plague Claire, and there is no evidence that her concerns will dissipate any time soon.

Claire’s discovery of Stuart enjoying a glass of whiskey upon her return from the funeral underscores his disregard for the dead woman. The incident has been resolved satisfactorily for Stuart, and he is free to go about his life as usual. Unlike Claire, he feels no obligation to attend the woman’s funeral, nor to convey any condolences to her family. Similarly, Stuart is oblivious to the ways in which the world is dangerous place and, unlike Claire, does not feel the need to be constantly vigilant. When Claire worries that “something’s happened to Dean” (87), he responds with nonchalance: He tells her their son is outside and then “drains his glass and stands up” (87). Again, their reactions differ according to gender, as Claire bears the burden of keeping not only herself but also her son safe. That Stuart can seamlessly pivot to sexually advancing on Claire solidifies this: “He says, ‘I think I know what you need’” (87). Ironically, Stuart is out of touch with Claire’s need to feel safe; his belief that she should submit to his advances whenever he wishes takes precedence. It is his desires that demand fulfillment. The story ends ambiguously with Claire consenting to another joyless sexual act. The tension between the couple remains unresolved, and it seems that, despite Claire’s increasing distress, she will not take steps to free herself from the damaged marriage.