A famous American writer Amy Bloom, with the depth and emotionality characteristic for all her works, in a short story “Silver Water” describes the psychology of the relations in the family struck by daughter’s mental illness. This painful circumstance invoked the challenges that could be too hard to cope with and the moral choices difficult to make.
“Silver Water” is a pitiful and sad story told by a young girl, Violet, about her sister Rose, who was suffering from schizophrenia. Being a lovely and healthy young girl, Rose had her first nervous breakdown when she was fifteen and since then, despite being surrounded with love and care, she had been getting worse and worse. Finally, after ten years spent in different hospitals with good and bad doctors, she committed a suicide.
Rose’s mental disorder became a great challenge for all members the family. Her mother, Galen, was the first person to mention that her daughter was going crazy. Even though Rose’s father, David, was a psychiatrist, he did not recognize the symptoms of his daughter’s disease. Ten years of treatment in different hospitals obviously ruined a normal lifestyle of the family, but the reader becomes amazed by the optimism and strength that both parents demonstrated fighting against Rose’s madness. David was looking for the best doctors and helped in a good clinic that they found for Rose; while Galen, as a musician, was playing a piano for patients and performed at fund-raisers. Thus, in the social context the author reveals the way family member react on the common tragedy (Source 2).
They were full of hope, when after dozens of terrible therapists they found the one, who really helped Rose to get better. Developing the main idea of the story, Amy Bloom introduces the new information, creating a strong link between the familiar and the new information. Under the treatment of Dr. Thorne Rose took pills, lost weight and started singing in a church choir. Unfortunately, after the doctor’s sudden death things dramatically changed for worse, parents took Rose home and for a certain period of time they had to take care of her themselves.
The peculiarity that immediately attracts the readers’ attention is love to each other that was dominating in this family. The author strengthens this argument with all circumstances mentioned. First of all, this is deep love of parents to both of their daughters. They cared about sick Rose, but at the same time tried to protect Violet. Mother felt the fear of teenage Violet, who was scared by her sister’s illness: “She also said, divining my worst fear, “It won’t happen to you, honey. Some people go crazy and some people never do. You never will” (Source 1). Galen wanted to make Violet lead a normal life, despite of Rose’s disease; when Violet moved out, she asked her not to come too often, not to worry too much. David appeared to be a person of less strong character – without the wish to …