Reading Response #1
In both, A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean and Deep River by Shusaku Endo,
water is more than a natural element. The description of the rain and river in these texts acts as a
powerful cleansing of both the mind and the spirit. Whether the river be a comforting family spot
for the Maclean family or the Ganges River acting as a spiritual renewal to the group of travelers
in Deep River, water serves as a redemption and hope in the suffering of life.
Shusaku Endo creates a beautiful story by intertwining characters from all different
backgrounds, with various religious beliefs and trauma. Each of the characters that Endo
introduces are complex and travel to India in search of their spiritual identity and self-discovery.
One of the most prominent and complicated characters that makes the most spiritual growth is
Mitsuko, who begins her life as an atheist, a bully, and a personification of selfishness and
physical gratification. Mitsuko's spiritual journey is especially moving because of where she
started, and where she ended up on the trip to India. Through her experiences in such a different
place than her home, she reaches the conclusion that, “there is a river of humanity….” (Shusaku
211) The majority of her growth is apparent when she thinks, “I feel as though I’ve started to
understand what I was yearning for through all the many mistakes of my past” (Shusaku 211)
Mitsuko was still held back by her past beliefs and as she submerged into the Ganges River, she
becomes aware that she does not know how to pray, who the object of her prayer is, and even
what she is praying for. However, just because her prayer was not typical, her willingness to
finally open up and experience humanity and in its truest form is a faithfully significant moment
of personal growth and change. While her experiences shaped her and led to the spiritual growth
she went through, the physical exposure to the Ganges River was the tipping point that allowed
her to reach the spirituality she had been yearning for her whole life.
The Maclean family feels similarly about the river being a location that erases difficult
memories, hardships, and emotional turmoil. Through the entirety of A River Runs Through It,
the characters continue to return to the river that their father took them while they were growing
up, a sacred setting that removes their worry and has been stable throughout their lives. More
specifically, Norman Maclean uses this family river to wash away all of the negativity in his life.
Things had not been easy for the Maclean brothers, but regardless of what was happening on the
outside, the serenity and comfort that the river brought them, always had them coming back.
While Norman is having a difficult time with his brother-in-law Neal, and a bad fishing day is
weighing on him, he goes to the sanctuary of the river. He describes what he does in the river, “I
sat there and forgot and forgot, until what remained was the river that went by and I who
watched” (Maclean 39). After reflecting and forgetting, “Eventually the watcher joined the river,
and there was only one of us. I believe it was the river” (Maclean 39). This divine moment that
Norman experienced is beyond moving. He describes the feeling of the river taking over him; of
the water washing over his trouble and removing the thoughts that were plaguing him, leaving
Norman with nothing but peace. Maclean is wise about incorporating the significant purpose that
water serves in this family's life and the benefits of appreciating and personifying nature. In an
earlier scene, Norman is describing how incredible Paul is at fly-fishing. As he is watching his
brother perform an act he is passionate about he thoughtfully muses, “The spray emanating from
him was finer grained still and enclosed him in a halo of himself” (Maclean 12). This quote alone
is enough to paint a beautiful picture of the connection between fly-fishing and religion for the
Maclean boys. Their father has preached both the words of God, and the art of fly-fishing to
them starting at a young age. This sticks with the Maclean brothers through the entirety of their
lives and we see that reflected in the words that Norman uses to describe a sport that isRiggs 2
under-recognized. This image of a halo above Paul is a display of their connection to God while
they are in the river and Paul's artistry and beauty in the act of fly-fishing, something seen as a
spiritual practice in this story.
While water is used as a symbol of renewal and spirituality in both A River Runs Through
It by Norman Maclean and Deep River by Shusaku Endo, they have their differences in culture
and narrative. Despite these differences, they both use the river as a metaphor for the flowing of
life itself and the power the river has to offer redemption and wash away their individual
experiences of pain. Water is a beautiful, natural part of the earth that is personified and used as a
promise of a new start and a comfort to those who are struggling. These texts both use this
breathtaking metaphor and create inspirational stories about the power of spirituality.
