Black Water (novella)

Black Water is a novella by Joyce Carol Oates, published in 1992. The story is a fictionalized account of the Chappaquiddick incident, a real-life event that involved Senator Ted Kennedy and Mary Jo Kopechne in 1969.

The novella centers around Kelly Kelleher, a young woman who finds herself in a car with a prominent, older senator referred to only as "The Senator." After attending a party, the Senator drives the car off a bridge into the titular "black water." Kelly is trapped in the vehicle and ultimately drowns, while the Senator escapes and fails to report the accident immediately.

The narrative focuses on Kelly's final moments and her increasingly desperate thoughts as she awaits rescue. The reader experiences the event primarily through her fragmented memories, fears, and perceptions of her situation. The novella explores themes of power, responsibility, political corruption, the silencing of women, and the psychological impact of trauma.

Oates utilizes a stream-of-consciousness style to convey Kelly's internal state as she confronts her impending death. The Senator is portrayed as an ambiguous figure, both powerful and flawed, whose actions have devastating consequences. The black water itself serves as a potent symbol of the unknown, death, and the secrets that lie beneath the surface. The novella received critical acclaim for its intense portrayal of a woman's dying moments and its exploration of the larger political and social implications of the Chappaquiddick incident.