Essay Questions

Why are Sue Ellen and her friends grief-stricken?

Sue Ellen and her friends are still young kids, but the realization that they have lost one of their friends is heartbreaking. One can imagine the pain these kids are going through. As an adult, one can try to control his pain and divert attention to something else but that is not the case with children. While Sue and her friends are fishing, they discover the corpse of Mary Lynn who had left to act in Hollywood. Mary Lynn has been a vibrant friend to Sue and her dream has been being a Hollywood star. However, her life is terminated abruptly and this leaves her friends with sad memories. However, the best way for Sue and friends is to accept and move on with their lives.

How does the author use Mary Lynn’s corpse to represent the horrific brutality of death?

The circumstances under which Mary Lynn’s body is discovered is disturbing. Sue and her friends regularly go to do fishing in the river. However, the day Sue discovers the body is something that she might not forget for the rest of her life. She does not just discover a corpse of any other creature but that of her lovely friend Mary Lynn. Lynn was Sue’s best friend and she was full of life when she left the town to become an actress in Hollywood. Sadly, instead of Sue receiving good news about Mary she just discovers her corpse which is a horrifying experience. Therefore, the discovery of Mary Lynn’s body by Sue symbolically represents the viciousness of death.

What is satirical about the title Edge of Dark Water?

The title of this novel presents a melodramatic satire because the act of Sue standing at the edge of the river implies that she is about to discover the unimaginable. Being on the edge of the is not accidental because Sue and her friends have severally done that before but this time round things turn out dramatic and unexpected. The waters are also described as dark an indication that all is not well because this deviates from what is considered normal under ordinary circumstances. The reality of this satire is uncovered when Sue discovered the corpse of her best friend Lynn floating on water.