What is the significance of the Minotaur and the labyrinth in the narrative?

Mark Z. Danielewski’s postmodern horror novel House of Leaves incorporates recurring symbolic references to the mythical Greek Minotaur and the labyrinth it was trapped within. Analyzing the allegorical significance of this classic myth adds deeper dimension to the uncanny confounding house that serves as the central setting and antagonist.

The Labyrinthine House and the Minotaur

The labyrinthine structure that supernaturally begins to overtake the Ash Tree Lane house directly parallels the endlessly convoluted maze constructed by Daedalus to contain the Minotaur. This connects the impossible geometry of the house with primal human fears of being lost and entrapped within an inescapable prison of one’s own mind.

Will Navidson as the Modern Minotaur

Similarly, Will Navidson’s obsessive exploration of the freakish hallways and mutated rooms of the house evokes the Minotaur at the center of the labyrinth itself. Navidson becomes consumed by navigating the maze, finding temporary purpose but ultimately no escape. Danielewski implies we harbor internal monsters fed by fixations with solving the unsolvable.

The Myth as an Allegory for Narrative Complexity

The references also work as allegory for the disorienting narrative itself, as characters and readers alike struggle to follow the tangled strings of stories, footnotes, fragments, and images that comprise the novel. We become lost in the puzzle Danielewki has constructed to mirror the characters’ own existential confusion.

The Multilayered Symbolism of the Minotaur Myth

By incorporating the iconic mythological figures of the Minotaur and its inescapable labyrinth, Danielewski adds allegorical depth to his abstract depictions of characters grappling with questions of identity, reality, and the limitations of knowledge. The metaphors operate on multiple levels, infusing this complex work with added philosophical resonance.