I sprung up off the pool floor but when I opened my eyes all I saw was yellowish water. My lungs were about to burst and I was no where closer to reaching the surface. A great force was pulling me down even further, I screamed but only water heard me. I tried going down and pushing off again but it just brought me right back to where I started. Sheer, stark terror seized me, terror that knows no understanding. The next thing I remember I was vomiting by the side of the pool, the big scary bully that through me in was saying "But I was only fooling around."
Water was always a scary thing to the main character but now he is sure that he will overcome his fear. All this happened because a very large bruiser boy decided that it would be funny to pick on the vulnerable skinny kid. People don't realize that they are hurting people or scaring someone so much that they cause them to harm themselves. The bully that hurt the main character isn't the only one that was just joking around. When people say that they were just joking they think that the person will forgive them. Words don't mean anything, the act is the thing that changes the feeling.
Even though the main character did almost get killed by the bully, he did learn from it because it helped him overcome his fear. I can relate to the main character in "Deep Water" by William O. Douglas by my fear of opening up to someone. Every since I was nine years old I have been scared of opening up to someone just to let that person let me down again. This all started because when I was just in 3rd grade my Grandpa Chapman died of Esophagus cancer. I will never forget this man because he was so full of love, care and respect. There isn't enough words to describe my grandpa. It has been 4 years since this happened and I still feel like it happened just a few days ago. Hopefully in a few years or months I will be able to open up to my family and friends again.
Although the only thing we have to fear is fear itself, no know should have to go through that dramatic experience. The main character in this book was really headstrong and willing to work on swimming and overcoming his fear. I feel that the bully helped the main character realize that he really was fearful of water. William O. Douglas felt that by writing this story he would make a connection with the readers. Words are something in life that is meaningless, acts are what makes up the person's mind.
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