Death and Rebirth

It’s apparent from the early stages of On Such a Full Sea that a major transformation has transpired. An outbreak of some type of hemorrhagic fever has altered human existence. It’s unclear how far into the future the novel is set, but it’s clear that present world no longer exists. Death casts a shadow over the society.

Early on, Joseph drowns and Fan’s reaction during the funeral stands out. She says: “Where you are." The vague nature of the statement marks a transition. Surely there is more: more to be said, more to come, more expectations, and even more death. But that death leads to a different course of action.

Shortly after, Fan departs B-Mor and the reader begins to witness the rebirth of Fan, B-Mor, and the lives she interacts with. Fan reinvents herself, or rather the narrator reinvents...