In the story “Snakes” by Jill McCorkle it is said that “a marriage that never takes a dip is like skimming the surface of life… sooner or later you have to adapt and dive right in bottom” (McCorkle 167). The meaning is that no marriage will travel the high road all the time, and if it does, it won't have much depth. The statement made in “Snakes” is very true. A marriage must have its ups and downs to be balanced. There are many themes explored in the stories of Creatures of Habit: Stories by Jill McCorkle. The theme of marriage is addressed in both "Snakes" and "Chickens", and is enriched by symbolism. “Snakes” centers on the marriage of a middle-aged couple. Every year the couple writes down their complaints, reads them, and burns them (McCorkle 166). The couple went through a dark time in their relationship. They called it “The Dark Ages” (McCorkle 166). During this time they were angry with each other and faced many problems with each other. “The Dark Ages” was the dive they took. It made them appreciate the lighter, more relaxed moments of their relationship. Knowing what it meant to go through such a difficult time, it was easier for the couple to overlook the smaller things instead of making a big deal out of them. That immersion in the darker parts of their marriage gave them a balance with the lighter times. It gave depth and meaning to their marriage. “Chickens” is a story centered on the protagonist Lisa. Lisa has just married Alan. Lisa rushed to marry Alan after a bad breakup with her longtime boyfriend, Randy, because Alan was everything that Randy wasn't. Although Lisa and Randy were not married, the “dive” principle could still apply to them. When Lisa fo......middle of paper......McCorkle 167). The married “Snakes” couple had already gotten to the bottom of their marriage, and this gave meaning to their marriage and helped them appreciate the lighter times. In the story “Chickens,” the newlyweds only scratch the surface, but it's clear that when they take the necessary dive into their marriage, Lisa may discover she's married into the wrong marriage. The analogy used in "Snakes" simply means that in order to be together at the best, a couple must face the worst and stay together through it all. In both stories, the characters symbolized animals in their titles. Works Cited McCorkle, Jill. "Chickens." Creatures of habit: stories. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin of Chapel Hill, 2003. 47-76. Print.McCorkle, Jill. “Snakes”. Creatures of habit: stories. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin of Chapel Hill, 2003. 163-184. Press.