Once Upon a River

At the time of the novel, photography is in its infancy, reliant on chemicals and long exposures. There is a community-wide fascination with this new technology. This sense of novelty allows Daunt to serve as a documentarian, traveling to take pictures of the parties involved in the novel’s various mysteries. Photographs serve as evidence to the novel’s events, preserving moments and people beyond what was previously possible. Ultimately, Daunt’s photography allows them to solve the mystery of Amelia Vaughan’s kidnapping and uncover Victor Nash’s villainy.

Daunt’s photographs begin as exercises in capturing the human experience, ranging from Robert’s work as a farmer to a local wishing well. He exposes his emotions through his photography as he photographs Rita, collecting images of her as he explores his growing love. These pictures serve as evidence of his feelings; likewise, his other pictures become evidence in the mystery of Amelia’s fate. Daunt transforms his photos into a persuasive call for information. With the pictures providing logos to his presentation, he leads the community in the direction of uncovering Victor’s identity. 

The Thames River serves as two different symbols within the text. First and foremost, it symbolizes stories. Second, it represents death.

Firstly, the narrator compares a river’s flow to the natural movement of language in storytelling.