The Labyrinth

The purpose of a labyrinth, after all, if to allow the inhabitant freedom of movement while also keeping them trapped within. I believe the labyrinth better symbolizes the nature of the journey that many heroines in literature and film undertake. Many heroines face invisible prisons of social norms, cultural expectations, and general confinement.

One look at a labyrinth from a bird’s eye view and we see a confusing and elaborate design of pathways and dead ends. The hero’s journey plots a course that is more linear, traveling from point A to point B, ever onward, until it’s time to come home. The labyrinth allows a different kind of journey. Heroines generally travel a comparable distance, yet often in repetitive circles and often closer to home. The inhabitant of the maze may travel equal distances, yet really never leave the general vicinity.