In Amy Bloom’s short story, “Silver Water”, the narrator, Violette, describes memories she had with her sister, Rose, before her passing. Rose’s disorder would get worse throughout her years, but something that always gave Rose and her family a sense of sanity was music. Rose and her mother were both musicians and throughout the story, when times would get rough for Rose the reader would often find her humming or making music of some sort. In “Silver Water”, Bloom displays symbolic signs of normalcy through Rose’s involvement in music. Which Violette and the rest of her family all yearn for her to have.
Due to Rose’s condition, she’s been in and out of different types of hospitals. Many times, people from the outside look at her as if…show more content… The first scene in the story was Violette describing Rose’s phenomenal voice before she was sick, and how she grabbed everyone’s attention and how they watched in awe. On page 91, and years down the road, Rose starts singing again, and this time in a choir. “Amidst a sea of beige, umber, cinnamon, and espresso faces, there was Rose, bigger, blonder, and pinker than any white woman could be … And we wept as Rose and Addie, in their billowing garnet robes, swayed together clasping hands until the last perfect note floated up to god …” This scene shows Rose once again grabbing everyone’s attention but in a different way than the first scene. Physically, Rose is obviously different but no one would have guessed that she would have a mental disability, all they know is she can sing. When she is apart of the choir performing, she is around people who are like her. She’s not in the hospital with other sick patients, being “just like them”, she’s in a group of virtuoso choir members making beautiful music. Being in this position probably reminds Roses family of that opening scene. Instead of Rose shocking people by acting out, the shock is from her voice, just like how it was before her condition
