Jack Watson

Watson’s so-called “shadow brother,” Jack, symbolizes his ever present inner-darkness and demons. Initially created to defend himself against his abusive father, Watson utilizes his violent alter ego when he is upset and threatened. Watson’s constant conflict with his inner-darkness also symbolizes a greater human struggle: one’s ability, or inability, to cope with psychological trauma.

Alcohol

Alcohol represents an ineffective and destructive coping mechanism used to deal with grief and trauma. Alcoholism runs in Watson’s lineage, and Watson’s cousin, Robert Briggs, warns Watson to avoid his father’s troubled life and steer clear from spirits. Nonetheless, Watson becomes a heavy drinker, as does his son, Lucius. In both Watson and Lucius’s case, alcohol is a toxic and dangerous substance consumed to mask unexamined suffering.

Mangroves

Mangroves—a small shrubby tree—border the waterways of Chokoloskee Bay and symbolize the wild...