The Narrator in Open Water: Character Analysis of the Unnamed Protagonist

Overview of the Narrator in Open Water

The unnamed protagonist of Caleb Azumah Nelson's Open Water is a young Black photographer and writer living in south-east London. His perspective shapes the entire novel, which is told in the second person as if the narrator is addressing himself. He is defined by his deep sensitivity, his struggle to articulate his emotions, and his desire for connection against a backdrop of grief and racial violence. The novel traces his relationship with a dancer—also unnamed—from their first meeting at a pub to their eventual separation, and finally to his attempt to tell the truth about his feelings. The narrator's journey is one of learning to be seen and to see honestly, both through his camera and in his intimate relationships.

His character is built on contradictions: he is an observer who often fails to act on his own desires, a man who craves intimacy but retreats from vulnerability, and an artist who uses his craft to process pain he cannot voice. Throughout the novel, he grapples with the legacy of loss—his grandmother, his grandfather, and later his friend Daniel—and with the constant threat of being surveilled or harmed as a Black man in London. His arc moves from a state of emotional suppression to a fragile, hard-won openness, culminating in a plea for forgiveness and a commitment to honesty.

Plot Role

The narrator is the sole focal point of the novel; every event is filtered through his consciousness. He initiates the central relationship by asking his friend Samuel to introduce him to the woman at a birthday party (Chapter 1). From there, he drives the plot through his choices: he agrees to collaborate on a photography project documenting Black people, he navigates the complexities of their friendship, and he eventually becomes physically intimate with her. His withdrawal after Daniel's death—a young man he had befriended and who is killed—precipitates the breakup. The novel's final chapters show him reflecting on his actions and seeking forgiveness, making his internal journey the primary narrative engine.

Motivations and Traits Shown Through Actions

The narrator is motivated by a deep need for connection, but he often sabotages it through silence and avoidance. His actions reveal several key traits:

Observant and artistic: As a photographer, he notices details others miss—the way light falls on a face, the subtle shifts in body language. He uses his camera to create distance, as when he photographs the woman during their first meeting, but also to draw closer, as when he photographs her on a windowsill and later dances with her (Chapter 18).
Emotionally repressed: He frequently lies about his feelings. After the woman breaks her dry spell, he tells her he is fine when he is not (Chapter 12). He also hides his distress from his family, declining calls from his father and brother when he is breaking down (Chapter 7).
Caring and protective: He takes on a caretaker role with his younger brother Freddie, and he shows tenderness toward the woman, such as when he reads to her and anchors her when his own voice falters (Chapter 14). He also helps a stranger with a traffic cone stuck under his car, paying for an Uber (Chapter 28).
Fearful of vulnerability: He asks the woman not to look at him in the prologue because meeting her gaze forces honesty. He later admits he has done a cowardly thing and hurt someone (Chapter 26).
Resilient yet fragile: He experiences a medical episode involving chest pain and arrhythmia (Chapter 27), and he breaks down crying multiple times, but he also finds moments of liberation through dance and music.

Chronological Arc

The narrator's arc can be traced through key phases:

Meeting and attraction: At a pub in south-east London, he asks Samuel for an introduction. Their first encounter is brief, but he is immediately drawn to her (Chapter 1). He learns she is seeing Samuel, yet decides to let his feelings grow (Chapter 2).
Friendship and collaboration: They meet again in late 2017, and she proposes a photography project. They share music, food, and a growing intimacy, though she is still with Samuel (Chapter 4). He visits her mother's house, and they begin to share their lives (Chapter 9).
Intimacy and complication: After she ends things with Samuel, they spend a night together, though they agree nothing happened (Chapter 10). They continue to navigate their undefined relationship, with moments of closeness and distance (Chapters 11–13).
Deepening connection: In summer, they spend more time together, and he reads to her about racial violence. They eventually say