The Woman in Cabin 10

Images of drowning are the most common in the novel. Early in the novel, Lo describes falling asleep as being pulled under, as if she were drowning, and ultimately Lo does nearly drown in the frigid North Sea, deep in the fjords of Norway. Drowning as a motif is symbolic of Lo's loss of control. As she fights the currents in the North Sea, she sees lights at the corner of her vision that she compares to the flashing lights she experiences while having a panic attack. Drowning becomes not only a literal plot point of the novel, but also a symbol of Lo's mental illness, and the power it has over her. Lo fears this powerlessness, and experiences it often after the burglary, when she is having panic attacks and flashbacks related to post-traumatic stress. Lo's fear of drowning only intensifies after she witnesses the murder of Anne Bullmer, who is dumped in the sea. The haunting nature of the drowning motif is indicative of Lo's fight to remain metaphorically above water as she struggles with mental health and threats to her physical body.