Highly Illogical Behavior

Water is a motif that symbolizes calm. Solomon’s panic attacks can be calmed by immersing himself in water, but submerging himself deeply in water requires getting outside. So, building the swimming pool and Solomon’s dive into the water in his backyard symbolizes not just his way of helping his panic attacks but also his subconscious desire to leave the house. Solomon is known in Lisa’s school as the boy who dove into the school fountain in middle school, and that connection with water remains important throughout the novel. Water is a calming sensory experience, in that things move more slowly and fluidly and sound is muffled. It is also a life-giving force (human bodies are made mostly of water), and therefore represents connections between people. In the novel, water also presents a specific connection between Solomon and Clark, as Clark is an expert swimmer and lifeguard—a perfect navigator through the nuances of connection for Solomon.