Green Grass Running Water a Look into the Theme.
Throughout Thomas King's Green Grass Running Water, a recurring theme seems to be indiscreetly explained through small but significant parts of the story. The theme as it relates to Passage one where a simple question is asked, Where did the water come from? Is in reference to the struggle of the Indian people to keep their identity, culture, and beliefs as a result of the slow but steady europeanization of North America. In response to a simple question lies many hidden messages and intertextual references which all relate to the stories theme. The reoccurrence of water mentioned throughout the story expresses its importance and hidden meanings. The relation of water to the characters and the Indians as a whole is not defined, rather it is shown through simple stories and imagery which expresses the theme and the importance as it relates to the characters of the story. The theme explored in this story gives an honest evaluation of reality as it relates to the Indian struggle that has seemed to become so prevalent over time.
At first glance Thomas kings book is a lot of small nonsicle stories and intertextual characters that don't seem to relate to the story or have any meaning at all. As the story progresses some of the less significant points like the water and the story of creation, become important and start to explain the purpose of the book and how it all relates to the theme. .
Water becomes part of the story because of its many characteristics and because of what it represents. King uses the symbolism of water throughout the story in many different variations, they include: puddles, rain, the world as water, and bursting of dams. Water as a whole represents cleansing, purifying, life, and the erasing of all the past. These Images are used to portray the events that were to occur in the Indian people as well as the individual characters of the story.