The Waters

Initially presented as Hermine’s grandchild, Donkey is actually her biological great-grandchild, and she is also the novel’s protagonist. Brave, adventurous, and curious, she loves the natural world and reveres all animals, refusing to eat meat and protesting whenever Hermine kills an animal for the purposes of her medicines. Kind and compassionate, Donkey is raised by Hermine and grows old enough to care for her, just as Rose Thorn predicted that she would. Industrious and capable, Donkey acts as a foil to her mother, Rose Thorn, by working tirelessly on farm chores and other daily tasks. She occasionally argues with Hermine and sometimes refuses to obey her. Donkey’s love of animals sometimes proves detrimental, as with her mishandling of the Massasauga snake and the pit bull, Rocky. In all of her actions, however, Donkey is well-intentioned and seeks to nurture the animals and people in her orbit. She loves mathematics for its order and logic, embracing it as a counterbalance to the wild and unpredictable natural world. This interest illustrates her intelligence and keen insight.

Donkey deeply desires Rose Thorn to be present in her life. She trusts that Rose Thorn will return each spring and looks forward to her sudden appearance, and the narrative suggests that these reappearances are the highlight of Donkey’s life. Much of the inner conflict she faces involves reconciling her love for Rose Thorn with Rose Thorn’s abandonment of her. She considers herself responsible for protecting her mother, and this sentiment is heightened when Rose Thorn reveals the news of her cancer. As the story unfolds, Donkey’s caretaking role intensifies, and she assumes the responsibility for becoming the healer for Whiteheart when Hermine refuses to do so. She regards herself as the linchpin and dedicates herself to keeping the family unit of Zook women intact. As the novel draws to a close, Donkey demonstrates her selflessness and fearlessness by symbolically sacrificing herself for the safety of Rose Moon—the new heiress of the island—and, indirectly, of Rose Thorn. The ending suggests that Donkey will continue to serve as the protector and caretaker of both her mother and sister, proving that despite the circumstances of her birth, her presence in the world is a boon to all who encounter her.

Raised as Hermine’s youngest daughter, Rose Thorn is believed to be a foundling, but she is really Hermine’s granddaughter and Prim’s daughter. Rose Thorn’s habit of leaving and returning to Whiteheart becomes a central plot point. At a young age, Hermine deems her lazy, and this reputation follows her into adulthood. Rose Thorn enjoys sleeping, reading, and drinking, preferring to satisfy her senses and baser drives rather than actively contributing to farmwork. Her beauty is an essential part of her character, causing the people around her to excuse her laziness even as her vibrant spirit brings happiness and contentment to others. Men and women alike are drawn to Rose Thorn because her beauty causes them to set aside their worries and embrace a carefree mindset like hers.

Much of the novel’s conflict focuses on Rose Thorn. She is torn between the island and California, and at the beginning of the novel, she is frustrated with Whiteheart, growing bored with the few opportunities available in the small town. As she flees to California to live with her sister Prim, the townsfolk deem her wayward and undisciplined. However, as the plot unfolds, the truth about Rose Thorn’s parentage is revealed, and her motive for fleeing to California gains complexity. In truth, she feels torn between her two mothers, Prim and Hermine, and wants to be with both of them. As Donkey grows up, Rose Thorn will come to feel this way about the girl as well. She often chastises herself for failing to be a true mother to Donkey and for leaving the task to Hermine. At other times, it is evident that she has entrusted Donkey to Hermine with the girls’ best interests in mind, knowing that Hermine’s experience will allow her to raise Donkey more effectively than she ever could. She loves Donkey and Hermine fiercely, believing that Hermine will live forever and dismissing any of the concerns Molly raises about the unhealthy aspects of living in Rose Cottage. Rose Thorn’s love for Titus also defines her; at times, as with Donkey and Hermine, Rose Thorn believes herself to be unworthy of his love. Though she cannot stop loving him, she refuses to marry him, because she is unwilling to become a stoic, hard-working farm wife with hefty responsibilities. Rose Thorn’s independence frustrates Titus and Donkey alike, and they are both aware that Rose Thorn does not quite know what she wants from life. Although Rose Thorn tries to pull away from Titus, she is always drawn back to him, just as she is compelled to return to Rose Cottage.

Rose Thorn’s delay in making significant decisions is also a key trait of her character. She debates aborting Donkey, but then ultimately does not. Likewise, she delays medical treatment for her cancer, but she eventually relents, and the decision proves to be for the best. In both of these instances, Rose Thorn seeks to retain agency over her own life and refuses to allow anyone else to make significant life decisions for her. This mindset acts as proof of her self-sufficiency and inner strength: traits that she also imparts on Donkey.

Titus is a hardworking and dedicated farmer who values his family and their legacy as farmers of Whiteheart. He values tradition and later attempts to plant the native celery that once flourished in Whiteheart, despite the environmental changes that have made his land inhospitable to the plant. Because he has hemophilia, Titus is constantly at risk of fatally injuring himself. Eager and industrious to a fault, he is famous for planting his fields first—often so early that late frost damages his crops. He is warm and friendly and genuinely caring and concerned for others. When Hermine loses her hand, he swiftly takes action and completes chores around the island, performing these tasks with little fanfare. A devout Christian, Titus is morally opposed to the abortions that Hermine provides, but he still relies on her for the medicine to treat his hemophilia.

Titus’s love for Rose Thorn remains consistent throughout his adult life and proves integral to the novel’s conflict. He desperately wants Rose Thorn to marry him, but although he genuinely loves her, Rose Thorn fears that he expects her to become a traditional farm wife: a role that she cannot fulfill. Indeed, Titus values traditionally masculinity in many respects, wanting children to carry on his family name and legacy. When Rose Thorn refuses to marry him, he begins a relationship with Lorena, and he later feels remorseful for his infidelity to Lorena. Likewise, because he respects and admires his father, it is difficult for Titus to accept the reality that Titus Senior once attacked and raped Rose Thorn. When he admits that this is plausible, he finally acknowledges his father’s flaws and his own flawed image of masculinity. At the end of the novel, Titus demonstrates growth when he resolves to support and protect his three children and finally accepts that his relationship with Rose Thorn has ended.