A Modern Marriage

A Modern Marriage is a contemporary take on William Hogarth’s Marriage a la Mode. This book completes the trilogy series following on from Crack Progress & Charlies Progress.

In scene one the viewer is introduced to Tara, a spoilt brat, who poses with her horse, as her father’s business empire is threatened and a luxury car is towed away. In contrast, scene two is set in the back end of the city where Den and his son Darren exist. But while Den thrives through a range of nefarious activities, he needs money laundering contacts and friends in the higher rungs of society. Darren is a waste of space. The two fathers come up with a deal and marry off the two youngsters. Thus ‘real rich’ meets ‘nouveau riche’: the eternal devil’s knot. Set in the environment of desirable waterside apartments (despite the rank mud and the view of wrecks) Tara and Darren conceive a child, Wayne, but also fall back into their dissolute ways.

In scene four young Wayne is neglected and sees sights of crime and horror, exemplified by the illegal dog fight. Darren gets into horrendous debt and from the bottom of the pit to which he has sunk sells his wife and son into pornography. But even this deal goes bad and he is murdered. Shocked into consciousness and blaming herself Tara decides to end her own life and that of her wayward son. But their fall is caught by Tara’s older brother and sister, Crack and Charlie. There are some signs that there may be redemption for all at last.

Bringing the three siblings together and connecting their lives to the redeeming powers of writing, teaching, art and parenthood, links are created to the artist and the stories, and also frame the series, which is finally printed, blocked and boxed.