Swift River

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of death and racism.

The image of Pop’s sneakers opens the novel: “Picture my Pop’s sneakers: worn-out and mud-caked from gardening, neatly positioned on the riverbank where the grass meets the sand” (1). These sneakers, left by the Swift River with his wallet and keys tucked inside, are the only trace of Pop left after he vanishes. Ma and Diamond work to get Pop declared dead so that they can receive the life insurance money that would help them to pay their bills, but the mysteriousness of his disappearance complicates their efforts, as does the fact that people report seeing Pop in the area. On one level, the sneakers therefore represent the mystery of Pop’s disappearance, one of many family secrets that Diamond must grapple with, and the difficulty of moving on in the absence of certainty. 

The detailed imagery Chambers uses to describe the sneakers also holds symbolic significance. The age and wear on the sneakers demonstrate Pop’s inability to get a new job after being fired from the mill: He cannot afford new sneakers. The mud refers to his precious vegetable garden, which he cultivated with great care, taking college courses in botany and putting the lessons into practice even after he was forced to give up the classes due to lack of employment.