A DEFENSE OF RAIN IN FIVE PARTS

MARY-WALKER RIPPE
May 2014

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I.

About three years ago, on a particularly blustery day, I told my mom that I preferred

rain to sun. To which she responded, and I quote, That. Is. Weird. Please dont tell anyone that.
And, yes, perhaps she was right, and perhaps I phrased that incorrectly: Rather, I should have
said, I welcome rainy days; I get excited for rainy days; I love the rain.

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II.

A quote from my father: Theres just something wrong about it. Something, I dont

know, dark associated with it. Like, its fine to like night, but not constant night. So its like, fine
to like rain, but not constant rain. Thats morbid.

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III.

A list of reasons to hate rain that I found on a random persons blog ("10 reasons why

I hate the rain.):

3. It makes dogs smelly
5. You cant go for a walk on the beach
6. It makes everything wet
[I honestly cant argue with that one]
10. It makes emo kids happy. Which defeats the point of being emo
[]

IV.

Theres a noticeable bias felt by many people against rain. And whether or not that

stems from the apparent darkness, the blandness, that accompanies rain, or the inconveniences
that it presents, or even psychological reasons, depends on the person. But rain doesnt always
need to accompany the tragedy, sorrow, and despair, that so many people AND ARTISTS,
FILMMAKERS, AND WRITERS like to make it out to seem. And those who continuously pigeonhole rain into a box of negativity are only advancing a stereotype thats along the same lines
of declaring lemons to be depressing because they are sour, not sweet like pears.
Fans of rain should not be viewed as morbid, dark, or essentially weird and wrong;
drops of water need not be constantly presented negatively. Actually, despite many stereotypical
rain scenes, rain is oftentimes portrayed in stories and films as a symbol of freedom, of rebirth,
and oftentimes accompanies or signals good change, whether that be in mood or plot, or in
greater, overall meaning. Apart from the uber obvious Singing in the Rain, the most poignant example I can give is The Shawshank Redeption. In Shawshank, rain is purposely used to illustrate
a baptism, a cleansing of sorts. After the main character, Andy, escapes from prison after 20 years
of being wrongfully held behind bars, he finds himself caught in the rain. And that rain washes
away the sewer filth that he just waded through to escape, washes away [at least for the moment]
the horrendous acts committed against him in prison, washes him in freedom and clarity.
And again, in arguably the most popular film version of Pride and Prejudice [the 2005
version], Darcy confesses his unrequited love for Elizabeth in a torrential downpour. And Ive
never cried so hard. Not because the scene was sad heck, I shed tears more out of jealousy for
Elizabeths situation than anything but because just as the rain was stopping, her life, his life,
their nebulous love, was changing. The mood and meaning of the story was changing, and for the

better. And as the rain slowly dissipated, it left a misty freshness in the air [that I have no idea
how the filmmakers captured] A freshness that looked, and thusly felt, clean. Light. And
though there was sun, so too was there a light drizzle and one of the most romantic, famous endings in literature.
Perhaps Im just sentimental, but I feel like those who enjoy rain do so because it resonates with some part of the body. Rain is like a biological rhythm a crazy, off beat rhythm,
perhaps, but one that connects with the bones in some peoples spines and ribs, and follicles on
their heads, and speaks comfort, familiarity. Rain is caked in the human condition. And its that
linkage that can make seemingly gloomy days so emotionally powerful for some. So uplifting
and comforting. So reflective. Rain presents a slice of time when everyone seems to slow down
for a bit. To soak up clarity, as Andy did.

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V.

Critical thinkers such as Susan Cain (Cain), Brahms [the composer], and even Einstein

(Foster), have declared being able to think best amidst raindrops. Author Douglas Coupland (a
literary genius, in my opinion) even went so far as to state: I have always considered the rain to
be healing the comfort of a friend Without at least a cloud or two on the horizon, I feel
overwhelmed by the information of sunlight and yearn for the vital, muffling gift of falling water
(Quotes by Douglas Coupland).
Call me morbid, Dad, but he presents a good point. Rain often encourages deep concentration, and deep thinking. Even studies, in particular one Harvard conducted one called Rainmakers: Why Bad Weather Makes Good Productivity, have proven rain to have a positive effect
on many people, in turn boosting performances on IQ tests and increasing creativity (Lee).

Now this isnt to say that those who dont enjoy, embrace, madly empathize with the
rain that they arent deep thinkers. On the contrary, those who hate it, but understand it, are
perhaps the deepest thinkers of all.

Works Cited
Cain, Susan. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking. N.p.: n.p., n.d.
Print.
Foster, Brian. "Einstein and His Love of Music." Physics World: n. pag. Physics World. Web. 7
Apr. 2014. <http://www.pha.jhu.edu/einstein/stuff/einstein&music.pdf>.
Lee, Jooa Julia, Francesca Gino, and Bradley R. Staats. "Rainmakers: Why Bad Weather Means
Good Productivity." Harvard Business Journal: n. pag. Print.
"Quotes by Douglas Coupland." Goodreads. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Apr. 2014. <https://www.
goodreads.com/quotes/148091-the-richness-of-the-rain-made-me-feel-safe-and>.
"10 reasons why I hate the rain." Jo'blog. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Apr. 2014. <http://www.joblog.co.za/
2009/02/10-reasons-why-i-hate-the-rain-3>.