thank you for answering my question about culture and waterscapes in reef. could you also please highlight some passages that describe the natural environment and the tropical aspects of the novel?
Though Mister Salgado tirelessly discusses the sea, and Triton spends many months in the oceanside bungalow, Triton only ventures into the coral reef once. He describes "Mister Salgado's real reef" in rich detail, conjuring an overwhelming, mystical atmosphere. "Frightened by its exuberance," Triton swims through the "jungle of writhing shapes" and sea creatures "sprouting and grasping everywhere." Though Mister Salgado is fascinated by the undisturbed chaos, Triton is unnerved.
Nilli and Triton's visit to the fish market leaves Nilli shocked and disgusted by the sight of decaying fish and the slaughter of a dolphin. The text uses phrases such as "gritty wet concrete," "narrow, dark doorway," and "thick, black blood" to conjure a sense of dismal brutality, as the people butchering the fish "have to make a living" somehow. Contrasted with the elaborate seafood dishes Triton prepares, the visceral imagery of the fish market highlights Nili's privilege, as she has never "had reason to" procure her own food.
