The Marianas Trench

The Marianas Trench, at 6.8 miles in depth, is the deepest place on the planet Earth, and is metaphorical for the illness that Caden has. The Captain argues there is no measuring of the Trench and its depth, just as there is no telling how far Caden’s illness will cause him to descend from reality. The Captain and Caden undertake a voyage to the Marianas Trench on a pirate ship in Caden’s imagined world. Only upon descending to the bottom of the Trench does Caden begin an ascent to recovery.

Challenger Deep

Challenger Deep, at 6.8 miles in depth, is the deepest part of the Marianas Trench, and metaphorically signifies the deepest extent of Caden’s mental illness. Only upon reaching the very bottom of Challenger Deep does Caden come to recognize the first trigger for his mental illness in the homeless man from...