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Scupper Walker is a fisherman and the loving father of Tate Walker. Readers are first introduced to Scupper at the start of the novel, when a young Tate helps his father unload the day’s catch and make dinner. Over the course of this chapter, readers learn that Scupper has lost his wife and daughter in a tragic accident—Tate is all he has left. Tate means the world to Scupper and he is “mighty proud” that his son gets good grades and is pursuing a science degree. Scupper is a kind, sensitive man who is not impacted by the toxic masculinity that consumes men like Chase Andrews. Scupper’s definition of manhood is simple: a man is someone who “can cry freely, feel poetry and opera in his heart, and do whatever it takes to defend a woman.” Poetry and music are important to Scupper because they help him escape from the banality of fishing and make him “feel something.” Much like Kya finds peace in the natural world, Scupper Walker finds peace in the artistic world. While it is not explicitly stated, Scupper’s appreciation for opera and poetry is likely connected to the memory of his wife and daughter. For example, he recites a poem at the dinner table to Tate that his wife used to love.
Scupper Walker also contributes to the novel’s thematic emphasis on unlearning personal biases. Scupper is initially wary that his son is rumored to be spending time with the “Marsh Girl” and he warns Tate not to do anything stupid, like get Kya pregnant and jeopardize his chance to get a degree. However, over the course of the trial, Scupper feels guilty for judging Kya. While fishing on his boat, Scupper has an epiphany and realizes that “he—like some of the ignorant villagers—had been prejudiced against Kya because she had grown up in the marsh.” He then recalls how impressed he was by Kya’s “scientific and artistic prowess” when Tate showed him her first book. Finally, it dawns on him that Tate and Kya both succeeded in studying their beloved marsh but Kya managed to do so against even bigger odds than his son. Scupper then arrives at Kya’s trial and sits with his son in solidarity. Scupper’s transformation from a concerned but judgmental parent to a man who is willing to alienate himself from the rest of his community proves that people are capable of change as long as they are willing to keep an open mind.
