The Sea in Winter

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of mental illness, racism, and child abuse.

Maisie compares her mother and father’s story to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. However, she feels that Angie and Jack are more like Cinderella and Prince Charming, as their story proves that “after losses and heartbreak” (55), happiness is still “possible.” Jack is also Indigenous; he was born near Neah Bay and is a member of the Lower Elwha Klallam tribe. He was raised by his grandfather and knows much of the history of the Pacific Northwest.

Maisie recalls Jack talking about the history of his tribe. He explained that the people were devastated by diseases and that the Elwha Dam impeded their ability to sustain themselves. They had to get licenses to hunt and fish, but they were not American citizens yet, so Jack’s grandfather and his family lived in poverty. They were then “forcibly removed” from their homeland, and Jack’s grandfather was sent to a residential school. There, he was forced to learn English and was not allowed to speak his native language. Jack said that his grandfather was “haunted” by this experience. Maisie also recalls Jack’s implication that his parents hurt him.