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Chapter 20
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Dry, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
The Human Cost of Climate Change
Justice
Urban vs. Rural
Friendship
Summary
Analysis
Falk makes it back to the pub in his car. Gretchen is nearby with Lachie, talking to Whitlam, and they see the writing on the car. Falk explains to Whitlam that the message is about Ellie, not the current murders, but Whitlam already knows the story. Whitlam says it’s been a crazy day. Falk doesn’t know of any other crazy recent events, so Whitlam shows him a piece of paper, saying they’ve been appearing all around town.
Whitlam already knew the story of Falk’s supposed connection to Ellie’s murder, but it never seemed to bother him. Perhaps this is because as a bit of an outsider himself (and a former Melbourne resident), Whitlam puts more trust in Falk than the people of Kiewarra, who view Falk as an outsider. Another possible interpretation is that Whitlam doesn’t assume Falk has anything to do with the current murder because Whitlam himself knows something about it.
Themes
The paper says “RIP Ellie Deacon, age 16” and has a photo of Erik Falk from about 20 years ago and a photo of the younger Falk taken secretly a couple days ago. Smaller text writes that both men were questioned about Ellie’s drowning. Falk goes to Whitlam’s house so they can talk in peace. They suspect Dow or Deacon must be behind the fliers. At Whitlam’s house, his wife, Sandra, greets Falk. His daughter, who was Billy’s friend, has been acting strangely since his death.
The sudden appearance of the fliers seems to be a deliberate tactic to drive Falk out of town by making Kiewarra a hostile environment for him. While Whitlam’s family seems happy on the surface, his daughter’s inability to process what happened to Billy suggests that like most families in Kiewarra, Whitlam’s contains its own hidden struggles and conflicts.
Themes
Falk asks Sandra about the time Billy was supposed to come over, just a couple hours before the murders. Sandra feels guilty, explaining that when Karen called to cancel, Sandra was in a rush and maybe didn’t realize Karen was in trouble.
One of the recurring questions in the book is who bears responsibility for a murder—not just who pulled the trigger, but also what other factors led up to the moment of the murder. While Sandra doesn’t seem particularly to blame for the Hadler deaths, she nevertheless regrets her inability to recognize Karen’s suffering. Despite the supposed closeness of everyone in a small town, Sandra seems to hardly be alone in failing to see the problems of the other people around her.
Themes
Falk gets ready to leave, but Whitlam says there’s one last thing to show him. He takes Falk aside and shows him a photo of Kiewarra’s 1948 cricket team, where Falk’s grandfather was the captain. The photo is just a copy, so Whitlam gives it to Falk. Whitlam explains that Sandra is sensitive to violence because Whitlam was mugged in Melbourne recently. Four men with knives ambushed him and beat him up, but in the fight, Whitlam managed to stab one of them. Since his phone was stolen, Whitlam had to go for help in person, and by the time the paramedics got there, the man Whitlam stabbed was dead.
That, but now all the Falks have left the area shows how times have changed and how specifically the farming that used to sustain Kiewarra may never again be as viable as it used to be. While the story that Whitlam tells about Melbourne paints him as someone only acting in self-defense, it nevertheless confirms that Whitlam is capable of killing a man, raising questions about what else he might be capable of.
Themes
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