Summary
The novel begins on a fictional Native American reservation called Dark River. The coastal A'atsika tribe welcomes a new member with the birth of Thomas Just. On the day of Thomas's birth, an octopus is discovered on the beach. The octopus is treated with great awe and people take it as a symbol that Thomas will have an extraordinary life. The chapter goes on to describe Thomas's grandfather Witka. Witka is known for his ability to stay underwater for shockingly long periods of time. For this reason, he is chosen as the tribe's whale hunter, a title that commands a great deal of respect within their tribe.
The chapter discusses his intense preparation for the role as well as the care he put into his hunting. He comes to know the ocean so well that scientists come to question him about it. Witka makes many journeys out to sea and becomes legendary for his prowess and skill. He passes on these abilities to Thomas. Moving forward to the present of the story, the book describes how Thomas now lives, in secret, at his grandfather's house. He is a veteran who suffers from his memories of the war.
The next chapter details how Thomas married his childhood sweetheart Ruth in a ceremony on the beach. The wedding is very moving and everyone takes note of how beautiful she looks in her dress. They are happy together for a brief period of time. However, their life together is disturbed when the Vietnam War begins. Thomas goes out with some of his friends and drunkenly enlists in the army. He is shipped off to fight. Ruth is extremely upset as she feels abandoned and has recently learned she is pregnant.
She gives birth to a son named Marco. She notices that he has webbed feet and she suspects he has the same abilities as Witka and Thomas. She raises Marco by herself. One day she hears that they have found Thomas's dog tags and that he is presumed to be dead. Ruth says she has a feeling that he survived. She repeatedly has strange visions over the next few years that suggest he will return. Marco learns that Thomas is alive and tells Ruth. They wait for him at a nearby airport but he does not arrive. Ruth is heartbroken.
Thomas comes home and feels that he is fundamentally broken. He comes back to America filled with terrible memories and in great pain. He does not return immediately to Dark River, but instead remains at a military hospital in Hawaii. He continues to struggle with gruesome flashbacks and experiences a feeling of general aimlessness, as he has no place he wants to return to. Ruth suffers greatly in this period of time, as she feels Thomas's absence and does not understand why he will not come home.
The next chapter begins by describing the absence felt by the wives of men who leave for adventure and war. Ruth experiences feelings of intense loneliness when Thomas is away, as she constantly worries that he has died and has no support at home. Later, Ruth talks to her mother, Aurora, who tells her that she was born with gill slits on her neck, which she no longer has. Her mother then shares a legend with her about another young woman who had the same physical features. Ruth seeks out the midwife who birthed her and meets a Forest Services employee named Dick Russell. The woman confirms that she was born with gills. Ruth returns home.
Marco grows older and is eventually taken to learn from the village elders. They teach him the tribal language. He swims every day. He is held in high regard almost immediately as he shows the same prowess that Witka and Thomas had in the water. He feels the sense that he will be asked to take on great responsibility. He asks his mother what will happen to him and she says he will likely just get a regular job, despite knowing that he is special.
Analysis
Nature is a primary theme in the book's opening. The mysterious arrival of the octopus is treated as an event of huge significance. People in the tribe are alternately frightened and amazed by the animal and view its appearance as a portent for the future. The fact that it comes on the day of Thomas's birth suggests to the other members of the tribe that he will have a special life and possess many of the same water-related skills as his grandfather, Witka. The symbolic importance of the octopus reveals the reverence with which nature is treated by the traditional members of the tribe and also firmly situates nature's mystical role in the novel. The octopus is the beginning of Thomas's long and complex relationship with the ocean.
Trauma is another major theme in this part of the book. It is revealed early in the book that Thomas returns from Vietnam a profoundly changed person. His body is physically scarred while his mind is stuck on disturbing and terrible memories of war. He is unable to return to Ruth or resume his old life as he feels caught in the trauma of his past. He feels that all of these past tragedies continue to reside in his body and that he has no way of escaping them. In this way, the book shows how his trauma prevents him from leading something resembling a normal life, as the horror of his past continues to follow him every day. The book reveals how these memories linger long after they have occurred and haunt him.
Family is another important theme in the book. When Thomas leaves, it falls on Ruth to raise their son entirely alone. She does so successfully, and Marco grows into an intelligent and thoughtful young man, but she struggles with the weight of the responsibility. She is initially furious when she learns that Thomas is leaving for the war, as she knows this will mean she is left to fend for herself and Marco by herself. This puts a great strain on her both financially and emotionally, as she often feels exhausted, angry, and lonely. The book shows how women like Ruth are often left behind by men to hold their families together. As tragic as Thomas's story is, Ruth's is arguably more painful, as she is forced to contend with the sorrow of a life she did not choose, but has to make the best of.
Tradition is another key theme in these early chapters. Witka, Thomas's grandfather, is renowned for his ability to stay underwater for long stretches of time. He is treated with respect by other members of the tribe and is designated as the whale hunter. His great-grandson, Marco, shows similar promise in the water and expects to be called upon in some way in the future. His tribal elders treat him with respect as they see what he has the potential to become. The assigning of these roles, and their importance within the tribe, show how traditions are passed down between the generations, as different skill sets are emphasized. Similarly, the appreciation of both Witka and Marco shows how much of the tribe's spiritual values are related to the ability to listen to and navigate in nature.
These opening chapters give the reader a sense of the history that precedes each of these characters. The themes of nature and tradition are established, as the moments with the octopus and Witka highlight how the A'atsika tribe value nature and look to it for sustenance and signs of the future. Trauma and pain are also explored in Thomas's struggle with his war memories and Ruth's feelings of abandonment. This section of the book explains the cultural context in which the characters are raised and the challenges they immediately come up against, both personally and historically.
