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Modern Aspects of the Labyrinth in LiteratureKlavdija Gredin, 2020, magistrsko delo
Opis: The purpose of this study is to define the labyrinth as a physical structure as well as analyse its symbolic use. I will determine, in my analysis of the works, the authors themselves, their other works and their lives, what the role of the labyrinth and whether we can find similaritie
I included four works of different lengths in the research, including short stories and novel, which at first glance have only one thing in common - the labyrinth. I will determie, in my analysis of the works, the authors themselves, their other works and their lives, what the role of the labyrinth and whether we can find similarities in real life.
In order to understand the meaning of the labyrinth we have to understand the meaning of certain terms and why did the labyrinth become so popular in the certain literature style, the magical realism. Although it was firstly associated in art it soon became used in literature in order to see everyday things in a magical, extraordinary way.
The word labyrinth can be found in many civilisations all over the world, such as the Greeks, Romans, Scandinavians, Egyptians and so on. The meaning is not always the same. We cannot discuss the purpose of a labyrinth, if we do not explain the most known myth, the myth about the Minotaur.
The symbolical meaning in the story of the Minotaur is clear, it represents a prison, but this is not the only meaning a labyrinth can have. Although one cannot be certain of the real purpose people build and draw labyrinths, we can speculate that they were made in order to protect certain people, capture the sun’s energy even to bring good weather, to be used in games and dances. Nowadays, it is a tool to help patients to heal spiritually and restore their wholeness. The meaning, in which we are the most interested is the symbolical meaning in literature. Considering all the analysed works and the acquired and analysed literature, I was able to determine that the labyrinth is used not only as a structure from which it is necessary to find a way, but also that it is enough, for the purposes of literature, if we get lost in it. It represents a tomb, where one can rest in peace. Making choices which way to take in a labyrinth is similar to making choices in our everyday life.
An interesting fact is, that labyrinths were already found in literature in medieval manuscripts. Three classical authors stood out: Virgil, Ovid and Pliny the Elder. They defined the labyrinth for writers of modern day. The authors chosen in my work Jorge Luis Borges, J.K.Rowling, James Dashner and Guillermo del Toro included their ideas of the labyrinth and with a modern twist making it interesting to read and to explore several possibilities for the reader before one finishes the reading. They mixed the traditional with modern in order to get closer to everyday life, therefore the reader can identify himself with the main character, dream or escape from the reality.
The selected works start with a description of the authors, following with the plot and last but not least analysed individually. Later on, the focus is on the labyrinth and his meaning in selected works. We can conclude that we, the readers are set on a journey as well as the characters in our selected works. The physical labyrinth in the work and the conceptual labyrinth intertwine and can confuse the reader, but just the right amount of facts are given in order to stay curious to keep reading. The authors made sure the reader can identify himself with the main character or better yet, they can feel his pain, try to solve the mystery with them and try to find the way out of the labyrinth not knowing that all labyrinths are not meant to be solved, not every way out of the labyrinth ends happily and that sometimes one just need to get lost in order to find a way out.
The meaning of the labyrinth, therefore, has not significantly changed throughout the years. It has remained a symbol of admiration, for everyone, the creator, reader or walker.
Ključne besede: labyrinth, symbol, short story, novel, structure, Minotaur
Objavljeno v DKUM: 07.04.2021; Ogledov: 1094; Prenosov: 82
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