Even if we don’t see it, it’s all happening

After reading the first chapter of Memory of Water, I now understand why we are going to a tea ceremony!

One part of the chapter that really stood out to me was pg.84-85 when Noria’s father told her not to clean her mother’s study. Noria is disappointed, because she is aware that the room will continue to change subtly whether she cleans it or not. At one point she says “Even if we don’t see it, it’s all happening.”

In this way, I believe that Itaranta uses this event to make a symbolic reference about climate change. The harsh impacts of global warming may not be directly in our face, but everyday something is changing: more CO2 is being released into the air, and more fossil fuels are being burned. These seemingly subtle changes eventually add up and before we know it we are facing a disaster which we can no longer control. Itaranta says “The glass of the windows slips downwards like slow rain, even if we don’t see it and the landscape outside is different every day.” perhaps she is referring to the glaciers falling away that we normally don’t think about, or don’t see. These subtle changes may not be noticed right away but when we  look at them eventually we will notice the drastic changes in the environment.