Lea Frances

Linen: a Metaphor of Codependency Lea Frances

Publisher Marketing: Linen is a fairy tale including the after following the "happily ever after" line. It is the story of a foundling girl. Following a life of torment and little joy, she is rescued by the man of her dreams. For a period of time she is blissfully asleep, conscious in an alternate reality where she experiences love and sorrow to an unmitigated degree. Upon awakening, she becomes intimately acquainted with both desperation and denial. Although unable to resolve all troubles, she chooses to live life completely. The novella's title, Linen, represents the fabric of one life, all threads intimately woven into a perfect work. Linen literally winds through the story serving the functions of comfort, cleanliness and concealment for that which must not be seen. The word, linen, represents one complete life and one life is completed with linen. The story is a metaphor of codependency. The primary character learns early that her survival is dependent upon the approval of her benefactor. She clings to this illusion as proof of her own worth. The metaphor parallels the lives of women who are unaware of their personal greatness and live yearning for the approval of others. Some live filled with sorrow, unable to resolve their pain. Some are fortunate in their unconsciousness, ultimately finding happiness in a prescription bottle. A blessed few confront unbearable emotional pain, rip bandages from tender flesh and allow their wounds to heal. It is my hope that you, dear reader, are one of the few.