In the play By The Water by Sharyn Rothstein Hurricane Sandy does major damage to Staten Island, the area in which the characters in the play lived. The question I pose is, even though the storm ruined the homes and merely all the property of the families of the Murphy’s and the Carter’s, did it also help rebuild the relationships of the families?
Sal, a very successful and wealthy man who is married and living in the city, had distanced himself from his family over time. However, after the storm, Sal went to go visit his family and offer his support. He developed a history of qualms with his brother in the past, but we see the brothers work out their difficulties. After three years without talking to each other, they are forced to deal with their struggling relationship. On page 52 Brian says to Sal, “You know I never really thank you, for what you did. Mostly ’cause I fucking hated you, so a thank-you never really felt appropriate, but… (Sal nods, takes it in. They sit in a moment of silence.)” Because the storm provided a setting for the brothers to reunite, they were able to squash their hate. The love that Brian and Emily had for each other in high school is rejuvenated. On page 42 Rothstein writes, “(He pulls her close to him. Emily takes a deep breath.) My mother’s gonna kill me. (Brian smiles. He kisses her.)” Would they have re-found this love for each other without a storm? A third relationship strengthened through these troublesome times is the relationship between Marty and Mary. When debating whether the couple should stay where they are or move, Mary finally stands up to Marty and asserts her opinion and says, “You’re gonna do it, or you can stay here in this, this nothing, all by yourself. ‘Cause I’m leaving. I will leave you… Hearts are broken all over the place. What’s one more?” Mary standing up to Marty cause him to come to the realization that he’s been tunnel visioned to his own agenda. He then treats Mary with an equal level of respect and her voice is heard.
All these relationships would never had been strengthened if a storm hadn’t come. As it says on the back cover of the play, “BY THE WATER reminds us that the very powers that tear us apart can also bring us together.”
I think you make a good point when you suggest that the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy did help rebuild certain relationships in By the Water. I agree that Brian and Sal’s relationship was strengthened throughout this process. This situation allowed them to have a conversation, and attempt to make amends, whereas before, they had not spoken to each other for an extended period of time. This is shown when Emily and Brian are talking about Sal. Emily says, “It wasn’t easy for him to do what he did. He thought he was helping you” (Rothstein 42). This is the first moment where we see Brian consider why Sal did what he did. Because she brings this up, Emily makes Brian consider the reasoning behind Sal turning him in. This allows Brian and Sal to move on from this incident, and focus on repairing their relationship. If the hurricane had never happened, they would have never been in the position to discuss their relationship.
You also stated that Mary and Marty’s relationship was improved by the hurricane, however, I don’t think that is the case. Had the storm never happened, they wouldn’t have faced all these new hardships. Because of the storm, there is much more conflict in the household, and the Murphy’s find out that Marty is in massive debt. These variables only strain their relationship more. For example, at the end of the play, Marty asks Mary, “You think… you think you could ever forgive me?” Mary replies, “I don’t know. I just don’t know” (Rothstein 52). This would imply that Mary is not happy with her husband, and this wouldn’t have happened if the hurricane had never demolished their house. Additionally, I think the hurricane did not help the relationships between the Carters and the Murphys. After the Carters tell Mary and Marty that they’re planning on moving out, there is a lot of hostility between the two families. An example of this is when they are discussing their option, and the conversation ends with Andrea saying “How could I not be upset? Look around you. How could any of us not be upset?” (Rothstein 20). Andrea then walks out of the room. This would suggest that disagreements between the two families is a direct result of Hurricane Sandy. In conclusion, I think that in some cases, the storm helped relationships, but it also weakened some as well.
I totally agree with you that without the storm a lot of the relationships that are developed throughout the play, as the characters meet up to help Mary and Marty with the destruction of their home, would not have otherwise been developed. If the storm hadn’t occurred, Mary and Marty’s family would not have been as close. Throughout the play Marty is solely focused on not moving and in fact he puts his son in financial danger because of this. He soon comes to the realization of his own selfish nature as he states, “I kept thinking: I gotta keep this house. How can I lose this house? Turns out, there’s really only one thing I can’t lose (Mary takes his hand.),” and in this moment, Marty’s relationship with both his wife and son are strengthened as he realizes he can’t lose his family which is much more important to him than an object (his house).
You mention that the back of the play had the quote, “BY THE WATER reminds us that the very powers that tear us apart can also bring us together,” and this made me wonder why Rothstein bothered resolving all the conflicts between family members rather than emphasizing the horrors of destruction in small communities with the destruction of their relationships along with the destruction of their home. I feel as though Rothstein showed the strengthening of the relationships in order to shed light on disasters and change the negative tunnel vision people tend to have during tragedies around the world. In fact, Rothstein may have been commenting on the many dimensions of the impact of water. While sometimes water can cause destruction and suffering, as many people’s lives are impacted by hurricanes, it can also be a symbol of rebirth like the relationships between family members were reborn as they were strengthened throughout the play. This interpretation can be justified for this play by looking back at the quote you mentioned in the back of the play. Often times we refer to symbols that can be be interpreted as both positive and negative as having many dimensions. In this case, I think Rothstein used water as a multidimensional symbol as she brought the family together in the end to highlight both the destruction and connections water brings about across the world.
I totally agree with you that without the storm a lot of the relationships that are developed throughout the play, as the characters meet up to help Mary and Marty with the destruction of their home, would not have otherwise been developed. If the storm hadn’t occurred, Mary and Marty’s family would not have been as close. Throughout the play Marty is solely focused on not moving and in fact he puts his son in financial danger because of this. He soon comes to the realization of his own selfish nature as he states, “I kept thinking: I gotta keep this house. How can I lose this house? Turns out, there’s really only one thing I can’t lose (Mary takes his hand.),” and in this moment, Marty’s relationship with both his wife and son are strengthened as he realizes he can’t lose his family which is much more important to him than an object (his house).
You mention that the back of the play had the quote, “BY THE WATER reminds us that the very powers that tear us apart can also bring us together,” and this made me wonder why Rothstein bothered resolving all the conflicts between family members rather than emphasizing the horrors of destruction in small communities with the destruction of their relationships along with the destruction of their home. I feel as though Rothstein showed the strengthening of the relationships in order to shed light on disasters and change the negative tunnel vision people tend to have during tragedies around the world. In fact, Rothstein may have been commenting on the many dimensions of the impact of water. While sometimes water can cause destruction and suffering, as many people’s lives are impacted by hurricanes, it can also be a symbol of rebirth like the relationships between family members were reborn as they were strengthened throughout the play. This interpretation can be justified for this play by looking back at the quote you mentioned in the back of the play. Often times we refer to symbols that can be be interpreted as both positive and negative as having many dimensions. In this case, I think Rothstein used water as a multidimensional symbol as she brought the family together in the end to highlight both the destruction and connections water brings about across the world.
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