Part of the exhibition Nostalgia for the Mud explores the primal desire to return to our roots, inspired by the eel's journey through life phases, this linocut work is the central piece in the Mandrake Triptych which depicts an obstacle to be overcome in the form of a mandrake. The mandrake, buried in the mud (or the subconscious), is a metaphor for trauma, the inner child, the obstacle we must overcome on our soul journey.

In Stuck in the Mud, a human-like mandrake is depicted submerged in mud. The medicinal plant of the mandrake, linked to witchcraft and fertility, parallels the life cycle of eels, which develop reproductive organs only after their terrestrial, muddy stage before transitioning into sea eels. The artist uses the mandrake as a metaphor for trauma, obstacles, pain, and the inner child.

According to folklore, pulling a mandrake from the ground would result in a fatal scream, so people would attach a dog to the mandrake with a chain to uproot it. Marshall incorporates the loba/wolf motif in her work, symbolising primal instincts and the shadow self within us all. The artist suggests that it is through confronting this shadow that we must extract these metaphorical mandrakes from our souls, despite the pain and screaming, to evolve and progress. The artist emphasises the need to delve into our subconscious to identify what must change for us to grow.