Lauren Rule- Crocodile (Class Topic #4)

Last class we watched a clip and the introduction was of a crocodile (...or possibly alligator) walking into the swamp and disappearing in the water. There was something so ominous about this scene. The first symbol is the crocodile (or alligator). Maybe it's just because I don't know much of anything about crocodiles, but I think mystery, danger, predatory, etc. I think it's the eyes, they are so creepy to me. Also the skin, it's uneven and rough. I think the skin adds to the danger of the creature because of the way it looks and the way we assume or imagine what it feels like. The predator is at first visible, but then moves into the swamp, concealing himself. The swamp is already a place where I would not want to venture and now there is a creature hiding in the murky waters. The unknown of this creature and of the swamp combined forms a sense of fear. You never know what is waiting for you or if something is even lurking around the corner. I think this introduction is fitting to the movie. The protagonist is afraid of death and has gone AWOL on a small island. Death is like the crocodile in the swamp; both death and the crocodile are hidden from sight, but you know they are somewhere possibly close by or possibly far off. The last clip of the movie showed the man accepting death. People living around the swamp know that crocodiles could be hiding at any place and they accept the unknown of the swamp, just like the soldier accepts death is a part of war and his fate is unknown. Of course, our class being our class, the discussion turned to cockroaches.