In literature, water is often linked to the unconscious or subconscious mind. Anderson uses water in a similar fashion throughout Shout to give the reader an understanding of her own emotional stability and inner strength throughout her life. Water also serves as a litmus test for Anderson’s own self-confidence and inner strength, as is evident when she is terrified while swimming in a pond, in contrast to when she is a member of the swim team several years later. Water is also a way for Anderson to distance herself from others and get more in touch with herself. Rather than merely symbolizing that she is drowning as she suffers in silence during adolescence, water repeatedly appears as an image of strength despite adversity.

Bodies of water become places where Anderson’s innocence is tested as she learns about the difficult, unfair, and unspoken ways in which men can dominate women. This is first apparent when Anderson joins a swim team as a young girl. She loves to swim, but she begins to see the sexualized behavior of her fellow athletes, which disturbs her even though she can’t fully articulate why. Still, joining a swim team helps her to heal and move forward during her high school years.