Breathing Underwater

What is the purpose of the dates as chapter titles? What is the role of time—past, present, future—in the novel? What do you imagine Nick’s future looks like?

Using Miss Higgins’s letter as inspiration, write a letter to Nick’s father persuading him to treat Nick better. What should he know about Nick? Why should he change his behavior? Use evidence from the novel to back up your claims.

Some characters in the novel act as foils or opposites of each other—for example, Tom and Saint O’Connor, Liana and Ashley, Nick’s father and Caitlin’s mother, Tom and Elsa. Choose a pair and make an argument for why they correspond to each other. Then analyze the significance of their pairing. Why is the pairing important for understanding the themes of the novel?

How does the socioeconomic status of Nick and his father function in the story? What allowances or constraints does Nick’s wealth provide, and how do these contribute to the meaning of the story as a whole?

Go back and trace your own emotions as you read the story. Where did you feel happy, angry, sad, proud, etc.? Why? Why is understanding emotion important? Use evidence from the novel to support your answer.

When Nick beats Dirk at the party to defend Caitlin, Caitlin calls him a hero. Later, when asked about his father in a group meeting, Nick lies and calls him his hero. In his poem, Nick also calls Tom a hero. What makes a hero? Why is the concept of a hero important to the story?

Nick is arguably an unreliable narrator. What if the story were told from Caitlin’s perspective? How would this change the novel’s message?

What effect does the tone of the narration serve? How might the style of narration influence the audience? Why?