Water comes to symbolize many concepts in the novel. One
example is in Antonio's last name, and one of the contrasting aspects of his
personality. "Marez" implies a connection to the sea, expressing the wild,
untamed, almost destructive nature of water. Of course, this capacity for
destruction is also captured in the myth of the golden carp. Yet the carp offers an
alternative to the rather oppressive presentation of Catholicism in the novel.
Thus, water also symbolizes a freedom or escape from that religious
control.
As the previous poster mentioned,
there is a clear division between the symbolism of the river and the pond. This division
is connected to the contrast between the society of the town (and its influence on Tony)
and the hidden secrets of the land surrounding it. These are also
important influences on Tony's development, with the violence and debauchery of the town
infecting the river, while the pond carries the sacred purity of the llano, untouched by
human sin. There is also a suggestion of baptism in the novel,
particularly when Tony witnesses Lupito's death in the river. It's his
baptism into the dark side of human nature. Florence's death by drowning could be seen
as a reverse of this, perhaps connecting to his own questioning of the tenements of
Catholicism.
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