So Much Water So Close to Home

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

Research Paper: “Statistics of Femicides in the US”

In this activity, students will write a research paper analyzing the statistics of femicide in the US.

Carver’s story explores the uncertainty and fear that a woman holds after learning that her husband may have possibly been involved in a femicide. Although Carver’s story was written in the 1980s, women are still concerned for their safety today. For this Activity, you will write a research paper analyzing if femicides have decreased in the US since the time of “So Much Water So Close to Home.” Consider using the following questions to both guide your research as well as structure your paper:

• What is femicide?
• What do statistics report about femicides in the US in the mid-20th century, during Carver’s lifetime?
• How does Carver’s narrative as well as themes of Isolation As Protection And Vulnerability, The Pervasiveness Of Doubt And Deception, and Gender Norms’ Harmful Effects On Women fit within your statistical findings?
• Has the rate of femicides increased or decreased since the mid-20th century? Do these rates vary among states or regions of the country? If so, how?
• What are some recommendations moving forward for addressing gender-based violence and femicide?

After drafting your paper, share an abstract of your findings with the class. Consider the variances among your peers in responses and findings.

Teaching Suggestion: This Activity invites students to consider the subject of femicide and gender-based violence in the context of US contemporary society. Based on the level of the class, this Activity is an opportunity to introduce the research paper writing process (i.e., initial research, annotated bibliography, thesis statement, outline, drafting, peer review process, and abstract). Students may be invited to share relevant visuals, if appropriate. Be sure to include a trigger warning for students prior to their research.

Differentiation Suggestion: For a global perspective, students may expand their research to learn about women in other countries and how they experience gender-based violence. Based on the country, it may be difficult for students to find reliable statistics; however, this in itself could be another topic for exploration (e.g., lack of reporting mechanisms, disinterest in gender-based violence as a field of inquiry, etc.). This resource from the United Nations is a good starting place.

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Other than Stuart, Claire speaks to only two characters—her hairdresser and a stranger at the funeral. Consider Claire’s isolation.

• When does Claire feel connected? When does she feel isolated? (topic sentence)
• Identify 2-3 examples within the story and analyze their relation to Claire’s development as a character.
• How does Claire’s relationship with these sentiments speak to the larger theme of Isolation As Protection And Vulnerability within the story?

2. Seeing and being seen are frequently mentioned as themes of Carver’s story.

• How does sight relate to belief for Claire? (topic sentence)
• Find 2-3 examples that provide evidence for your point.
• How does this topic intersect with the story’s depiction of The Pervasiveness of Doubt and Deception?

3. The theme of Gender Norms’ Harmful Effects on Women fuels the conflict in numerous ways.

• Examine the role minor characters—both male and female—play in developing this theme. (topic sentence)
• How does their presence contribute to or illustrate constructs of masculinity and femininity?
• In which ways do traditional understandings of masculinity and femininity relate to social norms and expectations for gender roles?

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. “So Much Water So Close to Home” appears in Raymond Carver’s collection of short stories titled What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. Examine the significance of this title and explain the context it creates for this short story. What does this story seem to “talk about” regarding love? Would Claire’s relationship with her husband constitute a loving relationship? Why or why not? In which ways does the word “love” appear in the story? Explain.

2. Many of Carver’s stories are regarded for their skillful use of epiphany—a literary device, usually occurring at the end of the work, in which a character experiences a sudden, illuminating realization. Does “So Much Water So Close to Home” conclude with an epiphany? If so, trace the steps the character undergoes to reach this epiphany. Unpack what they learn and its significance. If you do not find evidence of epiphany, explain why.

3. Consider the story if it were told from Stuart’s point of view. How would this impact its major themes? In particular, how would the retelling of the story from a masculine point of view shape the discussion regarding gender norms, gender-based violence, and femicide?

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Which of the following words best describes the mood at the beginning of the story?

A) Nostalgic

B) Tense

C) Playful

D) Abrasive

2. Which of the following phrases best describes how the author structures the first portion of the story?

A) A chronology of the events after Stuart returned from the trip with his friends

B) A flashforward to Stuart’s concerns regarding being imprisoned

C) A flashback to the discovery at the river

D) An alternating narrative between the future and the present

3. How does Claire understand most of the details about the fishing trip?

A) She reads of them in the newspaper.

B) She fills them in herself based on what she understands.

C) She talks to Stuart’s mother when she drops off the children.

D) She speaks to mourners at the funeral.

4. Based on the text, which of the following vices does Stuart partake in?

A) Drinking alcohol

B) Smoking marijuana

C) Stealing money

D) Committing adultery

5. What implication does Claire make regarding her own safety?

A) She obsesses that the Maddox brothers will kill her as well.

B) She feels she is only safe in the confines of her home.

C) She fears the townspeople will harass her.

D) She worries that she is no longer safe with Stuart.

6. How does Claire treat her husband by the end of the story?

A) With compassion

B) With adoration

C) With caution

D) With apathy

7. What does the final scene of the story say about Stuart’s character?

A) He is empathetic to the family of the deceased.

B) He is not in touch with his wife’s needs.

C) He is concerned about Claire’s well-being.

D) He is not as sexually active as his wife desires.

8. Which detail from Stuart’s story causes Claire to remember the Maddox brothers’ murder victim?

A) The nylon rope

B) The playing cards

C) The body in the river

D) The name of the victim

9. Which of the following sentiments does Claire exhibit regarding the death of the girl?

A) A communal empathy based on a shared gender experience

B) A pejorative view of the girl’s supposed promiscuity

C) A general sense of unease at her expected attendance at her funeral

D) A considerable desire to cleanse her husband of his wrongdoings

10. Which of the following sentences is implied based on the ending of the story?

A) This pattern of violence will be broken.

B) Claire’s distrust does not break her free from her loveless marriage.

C) Stuart is a reformed man, despite his tendency to drink.

D) Dean will not be subjected to the same patterns of violence as an adult male.

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. Describe the narration style of the story. In which tense does the narrator speak?

2. Consider the title of the story. What is its meaning and what is it in relation to?