Eternal Flow of Water (pgs 1-91)

The discussion of water and other aspects of the everyday realities facing Noria and her friends and family acquaints us well with the world of the book. There are many subtle hints like the insect hoods, the heat Noria describes having to contend with, the few tiny drops coming from the tap, and the plastic grave; all the little qualities coalesce into one lucid and steadily presented narrative about the state of the world. Water is central to this narrative, serving to distinguish the present dystopia from the mysterious past. While it is clear that water has a much different presence in the book’s world than in our own, I think that water has an eternal and endearing quality, and on page 31, Noria expresses this sentiment when she talks about the movements of a tea master;

“Water has no beginning and no end, and the tea master’s movement as he prepares the tea doesn’t have them, either. Every silence, every stillness is a part of the current, and if it seems to cease it’s only because human senses aren’t sufficient enough to perceive it. The flow merely grows and fades…like life.”

I picked this quotation because I think it captures the main idea of the section. Every time the people of the village use water and drink it, the flow and spirit of past civilization is going through them because water is eternal. Water is a gateway to the past for Noria, and when she sees her father’s hidden spring it sparks her interest in learning about the past world. The continuous ebb of water is mirrored by society, and tea masters capture this quality of water in their ceremonies. The tea master’s job then has great symbolic importance as the tea master is acting in a way that appreciates the water’s gravity and sacredness. Perhaps this was why Noria chose to stay with her father rather than go with her mother to the city.