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| Image by Frazees Photo Stash |
The Swamp of Sadness
As a little girl I bawled for hours when I realized Artax, the horse in the movie, “The Neverending Story” drowned in the mud because the deadly Swamp of Sadness had consumed him. He couldn’t see beyond it. Artax simply wasn’t strong enough.
Atreyu, a young boy, and the main character of the movie, saw what was happening to his beloved horse, but despite his love, his pleas, and cries for Artax to keep going, the horse couldn’t see past the darkness that was consuming him. Deeper and deeper Artax would sink and fight, until he didn’t have any fight left in him. Atreyu couldn’t understand why Artax inevitably would give up. The boy pleaded and even shamed the horse for letting himself give in to his demise.
Artax didn’t give up because he was physically tired of fighting his way out. The Swamp of Sadness ate his beauty and innocence, until he could no longer see hope and he was forever lost to the darkness that swallowed him up. Not even his best friend could pull him out or save him.
To this day, the movie remains one of my all time favorites. The scene in the Swamp of Sadness was a heavy scar to carry as an extremely empathetic child. Even now I can’t watch the movie without bawling when Artax decides to give in to the sadness. As I grow older and deal with some of my own medical battles, the deaths of close friends and family, I often understand the scene and realize how deep and truly sad an experience must have been for the writer of the story.
I believe we have our days and experiences where we’re Atreyu, and we conquer our quests, keep pushing despite our losses, and refuse to allow the darkness to creep in. Then there are days or moments, where we are in the Swamp of Sadness. Many fighting with their all, but continue to sink further and further, until engulfed in darkness. I hope I never experience the personal hell like Artax must have felt when all hope was lost and he allowed himself to be consumed by the deadly Swamp of Sadness.
Kandi Blaze McCrea
