Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of sexual content and cursing.

Throughout Deep End, Scarlett’s relationship with college diving is a metaphor for her journey to overcome challenges in her personal life. Ever since Scarlett injured herself doing an inward dive at the NCAA championships two years before the narrative present, she’s felt incapable of succeeding in her academics or her personal relationships. As “an NCAA Division I Athlete” (7), Scarlett sees diving as an extension of herself and her personal worth. When she’s unable to perform athletically, her self-worth falters, and she has to take time off from diving to recover. Even after she’s physically healed, she struggles to reorient to the sport and regain her self-confidence. In the narrative present, she struggles to disentangle her identity from her performance as a diver:

It’s easier for me when balls fall neatly into their intended buckets. […] I used to be a straight A student athlete. Used to be in control. Used to live in pursuit of excellence. At this point, I’m just trying to avoid explosive failures. Wouldn’t it be lovely if I could manage not to constantly let down the people around me? (10, 11).