Na Do-hyang is considered to be a representative author of colonial Korea, for he clearly depicted the dark realities of that time. “The Water Mill”, along with his other short story “Mulberry”, is the most representative of his realistic writing style. By illustrating a tragic love affair that happens at the water mill and the passionate crime that results from it, the story paints a vivid picture of man’s greed for material wealth, his sexual instincts, and the poverty that exists, as well as the feelings of loss that result from it.