Challenger Deep Themes and Reflection

When I first started to read Challenger Deep I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. I knew the book was about a kid suffering from a mental illness, but I didn't know how that was connected to the Marianas Trench; where the book derives its name Challenger Deep. Not long after starting the novel, I began to see that the Marianas Trench; which is the deepest point on earth, is directly connected to the deepest part of the main character's mental illness. The main character in the novel Caden is beginning to be struggle between reality and the hallucinations caused by his mental illness.

I enjoyed this novel because to me it really captures the mindset of someone that is struggling to hang on to reality. In the novel Caden constantly struggles with what is real and what is not. His visions of this ship that he is on become so real to him, that it affects how he acts in real life. At one point in the novel Caden does not study for a science test, because he is certain that he knows all of the answers already; due to an earlier vision he had that led him to believe so (Shusterman pg. 69/70). Caden has these immersive visions about a ship, that he is taking to challenger deep to search for sunken treasure. Most of the people that are close to Caden appear in his visions as crew aboard this ship; yet he doesn't seem to realize that the ship is not real. The main character appears to perceive these people in a mirror image situation. He doesn't realize that he is doing this because of his mental state. I think the novel really captures Caden's decent into madness. Although Caden eventually succumbs to his illness, and later finds a way to overcome his illness and return to reality.

Challenger Deep has really given me great insight into the mind of someone suffering from a mental illness. After being admitted to a mental hospital, Caden says "I lie on my bed and wait for the world to end. It must end eventually, because I can't imagine it going on like this. “This procession of gray days in a mental fog must eventually cease." (Shusterman pg. 273).  In that statement, I can get a sense of what it must be like for someone who is struggling with a mental illness; someone that does not entirely understand what is happening to them or why. Mental illnesses are truly debilitating diseases to those inflicted with them. Challenger Deep does a great job of giving the reader a glimpse into that world.

The theme I most identified from this novel is a decent into madness. Caden is gradually overcome by his mental illness as the novel goes on. As the reader I feel you can see that Caden is slipping deeper into his illness, even though Caden is unaware. I also think that this theme connects well will the overall concept of the book. The captain and the trench signify Caden slipping deeper into madness, the deeper they descend into the trench the more control his illness has over his mind. After Caden comes to terms with his illness and is able to overcome it, he says "My illness has dragged us all through the trenches, and although my trench was, well the Marianas, I won't discount what my family has been through." (Shusterman pg.304). For me, this statement sums up the connection of his mental illness and challenger deep nicely. Here are some images I believe illustrate Caden's decent into madness.

"If I commit to this dive, there's no undoing it." (Shusterman pg.286)

 "I spread my arms like a skydiver, giving myself over to it." (Shusterman pg.287)

 "It should take three and a half minutes to fall to the bottom of the trench, but I fall much longer than that. The minutes stretch until they feel like hours." (Shusterman pg. 288) 

 "I plunge into the silty gray ooze that lines the bottom of the world. Gray, not black. This is where the black pitch goes to die." (Shusterman pg.288)

"Maybe one day I'll dive so deep that the Abyssal Serpent will catch me, and I'll never find my way back. But it's not going to happen today- and there is a deep, abiding comfort in that. Deep enough to carry me through till tomorrow." (Shusterman pg. 308)

Shusterman, Neal (2015) Challenger deep New York, NY: Harper-Collins Publishers