Into the Water

Nel’s mother’s bracelet—an item she has worn almost every day since her mother died—appears frequently throughout the story, either physically or in discussions among characters. The bracelet serves as a representation of Nel’s spirit—absent upon her death, reappearing as characters begin unpacking the truth, and figuring prominently in how the story resolves. Helen, drawn to the bracelet among rubbish in the car, keeps it, and by extension has Nel’s spirit with her as she tries to go about her regular life. Mark, looking for something of Katie’s to keep with him, find’s Nel’s avatar instead in Helen’s office, and this bracelet ultimately contributes to his (suggested) death when Lena finds it with him. Helen’s possession of the bracelet brings both Erin and Jules to her doorstep, culminating in something resembling justice for Nel as Patrick is jailed for multiple murders. As Nel’s pursuit of the truth behind Patrick’s past indirectly causes her death, her spirit causing Patrick’s deserved downfall is fitting.  

Hawkins often uses water-based metaphors for especially strong emotions that characters are feeling. When Mark finds out his secret is out and he must run, he thinks: “It was, he thought, as though he were in deep water, as though he were reaching for something, anything, to save himself” (157).