In The Rainy Season Annotated

1a. Throughout this piece, as the author shares his account of extreme weather in Vietnam, he persistently mentions “In the rainy season” in order to express how he feels about the rain. Integrated in the beginning of the first paragraph, the writer mentions “in the rainy season” when talking about his “strategy for comping with ... the water.” From this, it is vividly expressed that the “rainy season” plays a noted role in the yearly life of the author considering that it requires preparation. Additionally, this can be found in the following paragraph when he details that “[he] must remember to keep [his] showers to a few minutes.” From this constant repetition between paragraphs, it is evident that the writer is emphasizing the constant
The author describes how the water “infiltrates my consciousness” and that eventually “[you] learn to accept it, like the others around me.” Given this description, the author characterizes the water as intrusive as if the presence of it is unwelcoming, but is still present nonetheless. This is done to represent to the readers how he personally feels about the water- an intrusive presence. Along with this, the writer illustrates the water “slowly [seeping] through the cement between the shower stall and bedroom.” This again supports the characterization of the water by presenting it as an unwelcoming presence that is “slowly seeping” through the cement to what would is supposed to be his private space. This further supports the characterization to the readers of the water being undesirable. With this in mind, the author at some point mentions that he once twisted an ankle, whilst trying to walk through a pool of murky water. The writer including this experience in the text effectively reinforces the water’s characterization as a constantly present and unpleasant evil. Ultimately, the author proficiently integrates an unpleasant and ever-present characterization for the water to represent how he feels that the water is intrusive and