"A Man drowned in the Congo River."
Adapting to married life
Part 1 Chapter 13
In adapting to her married life, does Maya feel like being swallowed by a crocodile? Will Maya’s husband’s sexual desires destroy her or
this marriage? I, like contrasts and that’s why I chose to draw the crocodile
in a peaceful setting. I hope she will not fall asleep while sitting so close
to the water. I hope she goes on writing her thoughts on paper.
Crocodiles are
survivors. They live on land and in the sea, in the conscious and unconscious
worlds. My unconscious seems to be lined
with insects of all kinds. These are the archetypes of our fears and it is only
through creativity, love, hope, gratitude, friendship and daily occupations
that we can avoid these feelings of darkness. I am lucky. I can express all
this in images. I can paint. I ventured very deeply into my mind – that is what
the book is about.
In paintings,
crocodiles are represented as the monsters of the underworld. During the Middle
Ages stuffed crocodiles were chained on the walls of the churches. They
represented the devil. In native American symbology, the crocodile has status and power. It is a creature responsible of creation since it lives on land and in the water. In the Mayan legends, people born under the sign of the crocodile have access to great power. They are open to new beginnings. Marriage is a new beginning for the heroine of my novel. How is she going to adjust?
