Dark Water Writing Style

Subtle and Clear

Let's get one thing straight: Pearl isn't your average overly emotional teenager. Sure, she gets upset about stuff, but she doesn't always express it to the people around her in the way we might expect. She's not one for epic tantrums, per say, so the writing style follows suit, telling us what we need without drifting into flashy descriptions. Take how Pearl deals with the fire for example. She tells us:

One day after the fire, I dreamed Amiel was dead. He was facedown in the water, and the water was gray. (50.1)

We can tell that she's distraught—after all, she worries that Amiel, the love of her life, might be dead—yet she doesn't bother weeping or yelling about it. Instead she simply tells us that she "dreamed" he "was dead." This is her subtle way of conveying her emotions to us. Why act like a drama queen when she can state her feelings in a much more measured way? To match her reaction, the writing style steers clear of melodrama and flourish, too; keeping the language simple and clear to mirror the way Pearl relates to her emotions.

The writing style is always very considered and subtle, but conveys Pearl's deep emotions nonetheless. We think Pearl would approve.