Something in the Water

Erin, the protagonist, is in her early 30s and makes documentaries. Her current project involves interviewing and filming criminals shortly before and after their prison sentences end. Her close relationship to crime comes up repeatedly, both through her job and with the bag.

In Chapter 3, Erin says of herself that “things often surprise me” (13). She admits that Mark’s proposal was a surprise, even after they’d been together for years. Her lack of attention to detail comes across strongly once she and Mark find the bag. Erin misses all the signs of Mark’s betrayal until the end of the book. She gets wrapped up in her own thoughts and concerns, which keeps her from noticing changes in others. In the beginning, she believes everything Mark says quickly and without argument. When they first find the bag, she consults Mark for the best course of action and runs to him to fix things (such as when she powers on the phone and receives text messages from an unknown person).

As they get further involved with the bag’s contents, Erin thinks more for herself. She finds holes in Mark’s explanations and rationalizations. When he tries to cover them up, Erin nods along but secretly questions him.