Walter Knife Essay

In the near future, the US is the setting for the tale The Water Knife. Here, the southern states are engaged in conflict with one another in an effort to obtain a steady quantity of water during a protracted and disastrous drought. The three main protagonists in this book are Lucy, Angel, and Maria. The title of the book, "Water Knife," is made up of Angel Velasquez. Angel Velasquez served for the state of Nevada as an undercover agent. In this instance, he undermines and compromises the rival states' water source. The first chapter of the book describes Angel's trip to Phoenix, Arizona. His boss, Catherine Case sent him to that place for the investigation of some mysterious incidents in the city.

At this time, a journalist, Lucy Monroe was living in Phoenix. Soon after the discovery of her friend, Jamie’s murder she started fearing for her life. In fact, she knew the killers of her friend would be coming after her life. A teenage refugee from the evacuated Texas state, Maria was living in Phoenix with Sarah, her best friend. After a scheme of business for selling water at the site of construction went wrong, Sarah and Maria found themselves in a debt of The Vet. The Vet was one of the local gangsters.

After arriving in Phoenix, Angel met up with Julio, one of his colleagues who revealed to him how one of his contacts had been brutally murdered in the Phoenix Water Board. These two men, Julio and Angel further went to the morgue to meet journalist Lucy Monroe. The journalist was investigating someone’s death who had been subjected to a similar toucher as that of the colleague of Julio. After feeling a powerful connection with Lucy, Angel was motivated to allow her to leave although she appeared to have some of the needed information.

Eventually, Lucy realized that Jamie, one of her friends had been involved in some business with Michael Ratan. At this point, Michael Ratan was living in one of the luxurious apartment building in Phoenix. In the meantime, Sarah and Maria decided to engage in sexual activities with Ratan with the reason he would allow them to escape The Vet's wrath as well as pay them enough money for covering their rent. The following morning after the sexual incident, two men broke into the apartment of Ratan, murdering him alongside Sarah. Maria escaped death by hiding under the bed. While the murderous were still there, Lucy came to the apartment, thus making her be kidnapped. Maria was interrogated by Angel after his arrival to the apartment about what had transpired. Maria was let by Angel to keep a book that she found in the apartment of Ratan.

Lucy continued with the investigation of the mysterious water rights, however, the agents from California who threatened to kill her children plus her sister, Anna intercepted her. Their primary intention was to force Lucy to betray Angel and in effect turn him over to California. At this point, Angel was led by Lucy into an ambush at a gas station. But luckily, she managed to escape. In the meantime, a group of mistreated and disgruntled refugees of Texas becomes involved in the fight. They mistook Angel and Lucy for fellow Texans. This fight resulted in the fire which quickly blew out across the entire Phoenix. Lucy managed to save the life of Angel by the use of fire and Texans as a cover from the Californians.

Angel came to realize that Catherine Case, his boss had previously ordered for his murder since she mistakenly thought that he had stolen the rights to the water. In her argument, Catherine Case stated that the only possible way of letting Angel live is after finding the water rights. He was to bring these water rights to Nevada. Angel was quick to realize that such rights were tucked in a given book. This book had been taken by Maria from the apartment of Ratan.

Maria was founded by Lucy and Angel in the Carver City, where she was thinking on how to cross the state border. The main reason of Maria for leaving Arizona is the fear that The Vet would kill her after failing to pay him the money. Maria was promised by Angel to be taken to live in Las Vegas only after she gives him the rights of water. Maria was to be safe in the new location, Las Vegas. After reading the right of water, Lucy realized that it was possible to save Phoenix from any destruction. For this reason, he thought of taking the documents back to Arizona notwithstanding the suffering it would cause Angel. Maria decides to shoot Lucy because of the unwillingness for losing the chance to escape Arizona. The main intention was to allow Angel possess the rights of water. Finally, Maria listens to the approaching helicopter to take the three of them to Nevada.

Critical Assessment

The author of the novel, Paolo Bacigalupi is probably the weatherman needed in the field of literature of environmentalism. In his novel of 2015, the Water Knife, Paolo Bacigalupi set his foresight on drought in the southwestern parts of US. In this novel, it is clear the Water Knife’s dystopic world in the near future would privatize the archaeology that holds water to make the rich live at ease. Conversely, the surrounding southwest regions were to suffer in the poverty and the massive drought.

The proposal of grim regarding the future is grim. Practically, the Water Knife’s landscapes appear not to be a forgiving place. In most cases, the brutality is too much, but that is the novel’s part that makes it very compelling. The characters of the novel are crafted by the author to be a reflection of the environment. For example, Bacigalupi describes how the desert is both barren and dry in a more comprehensive way. Also, death occurs at every turn. Evidently, the author created a landscape of ecological destitute. Overall, the novel is both educative and enjoyable.

Work Cited

Bacigalupi, Paolo. The Water Knife. 2015.