Baptism In Water

Thomas C Foster spent a significant amount of time discussing water, more specifically, what it symbolizes when characters get wet. There are two options when someone is submerged in water: to drown, or to come back up. Both outcomes can have a deeper meaning within the context of a book. Water is often associated with baptism and authors create interactions with water in order to “baptize” a character. Baptism can have different meanings, but is often a transition into the rebirth of a character. This could be literal or figurative. For example. a character could emerge from the water changed. What follows would be the transformation of their identity and/or behavior. Water can also serve as a transition between worlds, and mindsets. Whether
a character returns from the water or not, it can be the step between death or a different “world”. In general if a character emerges from the water, there are baptized and reborn, possibly as a new person. Drowning is just as significant in a piece of literature. Each drowning has an individual purpose and meaning. They can be plot devices, character revelations, or theme development. In literature, water is very symbolic feature. If a character gets wet, it is more than likely there is a deeper meaning and possibly a baptism. In order to understand the deeper meanings to a theme, plot, or book as a whole, noticing elements like water, is an important skill.