Why did the snake bite Nya in chapter 11 of A Long Walk to Water?

In chapter 11 of A Long Walk to Water, snakes appear. They’re not just regular snakes: they’re poisonous snakes. In the chapter leading up to the narrator’s acknowledgment of snakes, Nya’s village is visited by two men. These men have come to help bring water to the village. The men conclude that water can be found in a spot by two trees. Nya is doubtful, but the village begins to clear the spot in order to begin the process of finding water.

As the villagers cut up the grass and soil, the narrator notes that this is “dangerous work.” Not only are there poisonous snakes, but there’s scorpions as well. Neither the snakes nor scorpions bite Nya or the villagers, but as the word “dangerous” suggests, it’s a legitimate possibility.

The presence of the snakes and scorpions could symbolize the way in which progress and development is not without potential risk. Change can often be accompanied by danger, but that doesn’t mean that change can’t happen. In the end, neither the snakes nor the scorpions prevent Nya and her village from generating their own water. Ultimately, her village prevails over an array of adversities, including the real chance of being bitten by a poisonous snake.

What is the significance of Nya's fear of snake bites in A Long Walk to Water?

In A Long Walk to Water, numerous sections of the narrative reveal the living conditions in rural Sudan that Nya and her family experience. Author Linda Sue Park constantly conveys the hazards that the girl must try to avoid. One of the most serious hazards is posed by snakes that dwell in the long grass. Nya has learned to avoid the places in which they are most likely to lurk. In addition, there are numerous plants that can harm her. On one occasion, she injures her foot by stepping on a sharp thorn. The process of getting water requires her to walk long distances, hoping to find adequate fresh water in a pond. If no water is clearly visible, she must dig into the earth for even a tiny, precious amount.

One explanation of the hazards of the poisonous snakes as well as scorpions is offered in chapter 11. Their presence becomes a more obvious problem because of their proximity to the location where the advisors suggest there is probably underground water. They comment on the threat of disturbing the animals from their customary habitat, as the commotion may antagonize them. The villagers must take that risk if they hope to improve their living situation.

Why was Nya bitten by a snake in A Long Walk to Water?

In Linda Sue Park's book A Long Walk to Water, eleven-year-old Nya and the other people of her village in Sudan must walk many miles to draw water from either a muddy, contaminated pond or a muddy, contaminated lake. Nya is exhausted by her trips to the water source, yet her family must have water, so she continues to go, day after day, month after month, year after year. Once, she steps on a thorn, which pierces her foot, causing great pain. Another time, her younger sister becomes very ill after drinking water from the pond. The nurse at the clinic (also miles from Nya's home) tells Nya's mother that she should boil the water before drinking it, but Nya's mother knows that if she did, most of the water would evaporate, and there would be nothing left to drink.

In chapter 11, the narrator mentions that scorpions and poisonous snakes that hide in the grass in Nya's village and, presumably, along the way to the pond or lake. Nya is never bitten by a snake, but that is certainly always a risk for her and for the others who make the daily journey for water. There are, of course, many risks on that long walk, including everything from those poisonous creatures to attacks by enemies or wild animals to the potential for falls and injuries, but the risks must be taken because families need water, as muddy and filthy as it is.