The Covenant of Water Essay Questions

What does The Covenant of Water propose are the roles and responsibilities of medical professionals?

The novel explores the varying roles of medical professionals in-depth, beginning with Digby's surgical residency in Madras. Initially, Digby performs surgeries carefully and successfully, but is perplexed when his patients do not recover. From his colleagues, he learns that his patients require his reassurance, leading him to check in after operations, listen to the full breadth of a patient's symptoms and experiences, and eventually, go above and beyond by donating his own blood to Lena Mylin, operating to the best of his ability after his accident, and even allowing Elsie to continue her art despite its detrimental effects on her body. Through Digby, the novel argues that medical professionals are responsible for actively maintaining their patients' health through any means necessary, and affirms that meaningful, genuine relationships between doctors and patients are not only mutually beneficial but necessary.

The text also explores medical professionals' proactive responsibilities through Rune and Mariamma. Though Rune is a responsive, thoughtful, and culturally aware physician, he realizes that his medical vocation extends to developing new ways to support those most in need, mainly people with leprosy who have been rejected by their communities. Rune conceives of, then establishes, a self-sufficient community for lepers, providing around-the-clock medical care, researching and experimenting with life-changing procedures, and maintaining the morale and emotional well-being of his "flock." In this example, Rune demonstrates that medical professionals are responsible for continuing their own educations and developing innovative communities and structures to support their patients' unmet needs.

Mariamma's medical career is defined by ground-breaking, meticulous research. Determined to find a cure for the Condition, Mariamma tirelessly examines a variety of sources, filling in the holes in medical research that her predecessors ignored. In her lab, Mariamma and her mentor focus on the nerves of people with leprosy, realizing that until that point, only leprous tissue had been examined. Mariamma seizes the opportunity to study her father's brain, uncovering the two small growths that signify the Condition. Mariamma also pulls from her family tree, consulting with overlooked relatives, such as women who married out of the family, to gain a clearer, unbiased picture of the Condition. Through Mariamma's narrative arc, the novel argues that medical professionals must continually question accepted knowledge and conduct comprehensive research to make new connections between data and develop life-saving treatments. The novel affirms that throughout history, personal biases have shaped medical research, and must be consistently uncovered and remedied to provide the most accurate care.

Big Ammachi prays for someone to cure the Condition. How does Mariamma's "inheritance" help her become the person who cures the Condition?

Mariamma's discoveries about the Condition and how to heal it weave together the legacies and influence of her ancestors and loved ones. First, Mariamma is the daughter of Elsie, a talented artist, and Digby, a talented surgeon. Mariamma inherits these skill sets, combining them into a unique ability to imagine complete pictures from limited data. Using her power of visualization, Mariamma excels in medical school, conducts essential research on leprosy, and conceptualizes a novel surgical procedure to reduce or remove the tumors that cause the Condition.

In addition to the talents she inherited, Mariamma's skills were honed by the support and love she received at Parambil. Though Mariamma is not biologically related to the Parambil family, she is bound to them through shared history and secrets. She inherits the family's knowledge and secrets, filling in the family tree and uncovering lost stories. Big Ammachi raises Mariamma to value healing and trust in herself, as Big Ammachi's life was shaped by her limited opportunities. Even before Mariamma's birth, Big Ammachi led changes at Parambil that improved access to education, creating an environment where Mariamma could thrive and discover her talents and passions. Philipose, Mariamma's adopted father, regarded the opportunity to raise Mariamma as a privilege and a blessing—indeed, as the purpose of his life. Philipose shared his communication talents with Mariamma, teaching her how to find truth in stories, which encouraged Mariamma to look to her family history for clues about the Condition. Philipose also created routines and structures to maintain his sobriety, which also helped Mariamma develop the discipline she needed to succeed in medical school.

How does Big Ammachi's faith help her work toward curing the Condition?

The Covenant of Water is set in Kerala, India, following members of the Saint Thomas Christian community. This ancient religious tradition traces its founding to the apostle, Saint Thomas, who is believed to have evangelized in India. As Brother Aniyan insists, all the Christian families in Kerala are distantly related and affected by the Condition. This heritage shapes Big Ammachi's worldview, particularly her understanding of fate. For example, Big Ammachi values her Christian community but views her faith as a personal relationship with God. She often questions God, expressing anger and resentment after traumatic events, like Jojo's death. However, Big Ammachi's enduring belief in divinely directed fate helps her process death and disappointment while maintaining hope that the Condition will be cured. To influence her family's fate, Big Ammachi turns to religion. She prays to God to send someone who will cure the Condition, and protects Philipose by entering a pact with her local Saint to keep him from swimming alone. At the Maramon Convention, Big Ammachi enthusiastically supports the construction of the hospital where Mariamma will eventually work, insisting that it be built at Parambil. Ultimately, Big Ammachi's faith helps cure the condition by giving her the agency to change her family's fate.

Why is water an appropriate symbol for interconnectedness?

Water takes on various symbolic meanings throughout The Covenant of Water, but it primarily symbolizes death and interconnectedness. The novel is set in Kerala, India, a region connected by waterways and defined by heavy rainfall. Kerala's waterways, along which characters unaffected by the Condition travel, flow into the Indian Ocean, which connects to all bodies of water across the world. As the novel argues, all water systems are connected and constantly in flux; though rivers and oceans are visited by many generations, they are constantly changing.

One way the novel demonstrates this interconnectedness is when Digby and Rune travel by water to arrive in Kerala, where their lives intersect with the Parambil family's. Digby travels from Glasgow, marveling as he crosses multiple seas that cannot be divided by arbitrary borders. Rune washes ashore after sailing from Sweden, and realizes that all life is connected while staring at the ocean. Later in the text, Mariamma swims in the canal and the ocean; as she enters the water, she envisions her mother doing the same. She feels connected to her mother despite having never met her, for the simple reason that they both experienced the same bodies of water. Like time, water is constantly moving and changing. Water is essential for life and thus experienced by every human being.

What do Philipose and Baby Mol's experiences say about disability and accommodation?

Philipose and Baby Mol experience disabilities that are accepted and accommodated by their families but labeled and rejected by the outside world. Baby Mol is born with congenital iodine deficiency which stunts her physical growth and limits her cognitive abilities. However, before a young priest questions Baby Mol's appearance, Big Ammachi and Big Appachen do not notice anything different about Baby Mol and only recognize her bright personality and uncanny powers of prediction. After receiving Baby Mol's diagnosis, Big Ammachi is initially scared, knowing that her daughter will never marry or receive an education, and worries about the amount of support Baby Mol will need throughout her life. However, Baby Mol lives a rich, fulfilling, and happy life. Baby Mol's experiences argue that disability does not necessarily equate to a worse life.

Philipose's experiences with disability are more complex, as he ventures outside of the safe haven of Parambil. Philipose has limited hearing, though his schoolteachers and family easily accommodated his needs. However, when Philipose goes out into the world, built for people with hearing, he is endangered, humiliated, and made to feel ashamed. He is nearly trampled in the train station, creating a lifelong fear of cities and crowds, and is dismissed by the school he worked hard to enter. Though the ableism Philipose encounters is systemic, he internalizes a sense of shame that follows him through his adult life. Traumatized by his experiences, Philipose pivots his dreams of exploring the world to live at Parambil, and is unable to fully support Elsie in their marriage. Philipose's story demonstrates the often-overlooked emotional consequences of living with a disability in an ableist world.