The Occult as a Metaphor for Insanity
Ossie turns to the occult in an attempt to cope with the loss of their clan matriarch the dissolution of their way of life. The presence of the occult however is largely questionable and may be interpreted either the result of deep grief and abandonment---the product of a mental breakdown if you will---rather than the presence of actual otherworldly forces in action. Taking this angle into consideration the presence of the occult or occurrences of the supernatural may actually be a metaphor for insanity.
Alligators as a Metaphor for the Bigtree Family and their Way of Life
The alligators share many characteristics with the Bigtree family: larger than life, outwardly ferocious, and like them, on the critically endangered list. The dangerous swamp reptiles that have been so closely associated with them become an in-novel metaphor for them. Like the ‘gators, they too are larger than life characters, and like the gators they wrestle with they too are largely helpless against the relentlessly turning wheels of modernization and commercialization that eventually take away their way of life forever.
The World of Darkness as a Metaphor for Consumerism and Abandonment of Traditional Values
The new theme park is a large plot of land devoted to two things: getting visitors to part with their hard earned money through the lure of vapid, penny dreadful frights and the dispensation of mindless entertainment. The park, being a virtual temple ground devoted to spending and shallow entertainment, therefore, can be viewed as a metaphor for consumerism. The presence of the park as well as the subsequent economic downturn it creates causes the men of the Bigtree family to suddenly take a sudden, unwelcome exodus from the swampland life as well as abandoning their roles as guardians to the younger Bigtree girls to earn a living, ironically at the very places that had turned their lives upside down.
The Wetlands as a Metaphor for Innocence and Happier Times
Despite the pervasive smell of rot, the bugs, and the muck, the wetlands are full of life and beauty if one knows where to look. The marsh is also where many of their happiest memories are tied to recalling the glory years of Swamplandia’s heyday when life was simpler and the Bigtrees didn’t have to deal with forces beyond their control. The swamp, therefore, effectively becomes a metaphor for innocence and happier times. Conversely, it’s eventual destruction via the development of the World of Darkness can be seen as a metaphor for the loss of innocence and the encroachment of harsh realities that must be faced.
Hilola’s Death as a Metaphor for the End of an Era
The death of Hilola Bigtree doesn’t just signal the end of the Bigtree clan’s finances but the end of their lifestyle as a whole. Hilola was more than just the star attraction of Swamplandia; she was also the glue that kept her family intact. Her passing meant that there was nothing else to draw the curious crowds into their distant patch of marsh and more tragically, nothing to keep surviving family members from coming apart at the seams. Hilola’s death therefore, is more than just her physical passing but symbolic for the death of an era.
