The Ivory Trail

The book cover for "The Ivory Trail" symbolizes a spiritual phenomenon and a journey of the mind and spirit of a boy of western origin. Marina Messha, the composer of this text, obtained the images from an image bank and composed a sequential montage to illustrate how "The journey, not the arrival, matters". The layering and 3D imaging illustrate a protracted journey with many obstacles. They do not however, illustrate a destination, which emphasizes this quote and furthermore stresses how vital a journey is to the growth and development of the western looking boy in the foreground.

The boy's face is the most salient image. His eyes represent anticipation and wonder into the future. The protagonist looks upon the obstacles awaiting him in the unknown, represented by darkness in the right hand side. He is youthful, and the upward tilt of his head expresses hope and wonder. Elements of his face fade into sand, the ripples of sand are tears coming from his eyes, implying hardship or pain among the journey.

The dominant colours are the reds, oranges and yellows. These colours suggest danger and urgency. The red has a feel of anger and annoyance, which could be felt by the main character due to the obstacles. The use of the black and purple create a mood of eeriness and mystery. The setting sun creates a peaceful and serene mood, possibly hinting at a positive resolution at the closing stages of the inner journey or symbolically representing a new dawn.

The journey is fundamental for the moral and psychological growth of the main character as he experiences different cultures represented by the various symbols. The minarets perhaps represent an Indian or Buddhist culture and the Sphinx signifies an Egyptian or Arabic culture. Together, the symbols epitomize the eastern society, which contrasts with the western boy.

The phrase at the top 'Not all journeys have an ending'