Posted by Atticus on September 17, 2004, at 23:33:01
In reply to fiction...The Secret--Conclusion, posted by malthus on September 17, 2004, at 22:09:05
I'd previously remarked that this seemed to be an allegory about depression after reading the first portion, and now I see it that way more strongly than ever before. The starfish strike me as emotions that seem harmless, motionless, when washed up on a beach on the surface and drained of their intensity. But when encountered in the depths of a depressive abyss, their activity becomes too intense, too alien, too frightening to cope with. The omnipresent "atmosphere" of water weighs heavily on the heart and chest as the lungs drink more and more of it in. And there is that sense of being stranded, with no way out of this predicament. "The Secret" is the one I carry to work every day, concealed behind a mask of meds and forced jollity, but I could easily see a laugh twisting into a sob when I feel this way, as the Terrible does. Pirates are "doers," expected to go out into the world and boldly take what they please, to sail through life without fear or remorse. I think our society expects much the same of us, but for those of us who have experienced the enervating and paralyzing effects of depression, this becomes as impossible as sailing a ship back to the surface of the ocean without winds, without "lift." I'm glad you didn't feel the need to tack on a happy ending; it would have sounded a false note in a striking piece of writing. A fairy tale for adults that packs a punch on multiple levels. Very nicely done. ;) Atticus
poster:Atticus
thread:392172
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/write/20040828/msgs/392198.html