When referring to labyrinths, Kolter states that there are usually three types that are widely considered: The unicursal maze, the multicursal or mannerist maze, and the rhizome or network maze. The first type poses no challenge to the individual traversing its pathways because it consists of a single pathway that leads to a centre and then further on to an exit. The second type creates more of a challenge as it is made up of numerous pathways, many of which lead to dead ends, but there is only one correct pathway leading to the exit; however, this maze is one which can be successfully navigated through trial and error. The final type is formed by many pathways that are interconnected creating a potentially infinite number of pathways to any single point all of which can change as time passes. (Kolter 169) The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco presents the process of detection employed by William of Baskerville, as metaphorically parallel or opposite to the structure of the latter two labyrinth types; which brings into perspective the differing world views prevalent in the medieval setting in The Name of the Rose.
William’s deductive processes are representative of the typical multicursal labyrinth described by Kolter and at the onset of the fourth day after the murder of Berenger; William explains the approach to his method of deduction:
Solving a mystery is not the same as deducing from first principles. Nor does it amount simply to collecting a number of particular data from which to infer a general law. It means, rather, facing one or two or three particular data apparently with nothing in common, and trying to imagine whether they could represent so many instances of general law you don’t yet know, and which perhaps has neve...
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... 38.1 (1984): 181. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 7 Apr. 2014.
Halpern, Paul, and Felicia Hurewitz. "Eco's Symbolic Cosmos: Trapped in the Labyrinth of Metaphor." Ometeca 5-6 (2002): 326-328. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 12 Mar. 2014.
Hernandez Martin, Jorge. “ Jorge of Bugos: Eco’s Minotaur.” Readers and Labyrinths: Detective Fiction in Borges, Bustos Domecq, and Eco. Ed. David William Foster. New York: Garland Pub., 1995. 163+. Print.
Kolter, Jody. "Abductive Reasoning as an Aesthetic of Interpretation and a Logic of Creativity in Umberto Eco’s 'The Name of the Rose'." Res Cogitans. 2.1 (2011): 169. Print.
Sibley, Rochelle. "Aspects of The Labyrinth in the Name of the Rose: Chaos and Order in the Abbey Library." Illuminating Eco: On the Boundaries of Interpretation. Ed. Charlotte Ross, and Rochelle Sibley. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2004. 40. Print.
The fables “El Grillo y el Jaguar” and “The Hero in the Village” both contain similar messages of cleverness and justice. The former is a Mexican fable about an unkind jaguar who challenges a singing cricket to a race. On the other hand, the latter Bolivian fable is about a hard-working burro who is blamed for eating his master’s garden every night, but the true culprit is a group of sly foxes. Both the cricket and the burro cleverly defeat their antagonists, however. While each encloses differences, also, these fables have many resemblances in characters and themes.
Cooper, Bernard. “Labyrinthine.” Occasions for Writing . Ed. Robert DiYanni and Pat C. Hoy II. Boston: Thomson, 2007. 345- 47. Print.
Ficciones, a collection of short stories written by Jorge Luis Borges, contains several works in which the motif of fantasy is repeatedly incorporated into the storyline. With this, Borges plays with the idea of fantasy being reality and reality being fantasy. He accomplishes the incorporation by setting a realistic plotline and relatively easy to follow story and releases whimsical, yet minuscule, symbols and ideas into the plot to create a fantastical twist. A prime example of such work is “The South”, a narrative about Juan Dahlmann, a librarian who seeks out the pleasures of The Thousand and One Nights on his trip to his ranch to Buenos Aires; however never achieves such due to a head injury he receives upon reading the novel. From the concussion forward, Dahlmann’s reality shifts back and forth to fantasy. Borges shows the unreality of the trip by his characterization of Dahlmann and references to his true reality throughout the short work.
Webster Garrett, Erin. "Biblioteca Virtual Miguel De Cervantes." Biblioteca Virtual Miguel De Cervantes. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2014.
17 David Seed, Fictional Labyrinths of Thomas Pynchon (University of Iowa Press: Iowa City), p. 124.
Jorge Luis Borges possesses writing styles unlike others of his time. Through his series of works, he has acquired the title of "the greatest living writer in the Spanish language." The particular example of work that I read, titled "Ficciones," was a definite portrayal of his culture. The book was not merely a list of facts from his birth country; instead the real cultural knowledge came from his writing style. The book consisted of two parts; each part was broken up into stories. Each one, despite being fiction, is a painting of his experiences, and the cultures of Buenos Aires. Among his themes are myths passed down through the families in his country. I thought that the stories that were contained in this collection were very educational. When finally taking a minute to analyze, and find deeper meaning to the tales, I discovered that they all posses what he has known in his life. He is easily distinguishable in his works. Now that I have thoroughly made it clear of his uniqueness, it will be easier for me to explain my next opinion. I thought that the writing style of Jorge Luis Borges was extremely exciting. He possesses the ability to capture his readers by fully utilizing the writing style known as irony. I found that irony is a large part of his works. He makes sure that the climax of the particular piece is not revealed until the conclusion of the story. A strong example of this was in a piece entitled "The Garden of Forking Paths." Bo...
An allegory is a kind of a story in which the things that are happening are compared to something else that is similar and unstated.”The Matrix”, dated back to 1999, is a film by the Wachowski brothers that adapts a number of new and olden philosophies about the truth behind reality. However the most important part to the framework of the movie is adapted from the Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. These two films tend to reveal the truth on the ongoing question about what reality is and the question whether we are living in the real world or an illusion of the world? In the Matrix, Neo, the main character is held in a false sense of reality created by machine software while in the Plato’s Allegory of the Cave; a slave is used as the main character and is presented as being able to comprehend the reality of the cave both inside and outside.
In 1949, Dana Gioia reflected on the significance of Gabriel García Márquez’s narrative style when he accurately quoted, “[it] describes the matter-of-fact combination of the fantastic and everyday in Latin American literature” (Gioia). Today, García Márquez’s work is synonymous with magical realism. In “Un Señor Muy Viejo con Alas Enormes,” the tale begins with be dramatically bleak fairytale introduction:
Plato's Allegory of a Cave, Wachowski's Matrix, and Marge Piercy's Woman on the Edge of Time
In the title “In This Strange Labyrinth”, the labyrinth is symbolic of love’s maze-like qualities. The speaker describes her predicament by saying, “In this strange Labyrinth how shall I turn/Ways are on all sides” (1-2). A different path on every side surrounds her, and every way seems to be the wrong way. She is confused about which way she should go. Wroth is conveying the theme of love in a decidedly negative way, for according to myth, the Labyrinth was where the Minotaur lived and before it’s demise, death was evident for all visitors of the maze. The speaker is struggling with every choice she may make and cannot rest or find aid until she finds the best way: “Go forward, or stand still, or back retire;/ I must these doubts endure without allay/ Or help, but travail find for my best hire” (10-11). She has several choices and each one is confusing and leaves her feeling helpless.
Imagine living through life completely bound and facing a reality that doesn’t even exist. The prisoners in Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” are blind from true reality as well as the people in the movie “The Matrix” written and directed by the Wachowski brothers. They are given false images and they accept what their senses are telling them, and they believe what they are experiencing is all that really exists. Plato the ancient Greek philosopher wrote “The Allegory of the Cave”, to explain the process of enlightenment and what true reality may be. In the movie “The Matrix”, Neo (the main character) was born into a world of illusions called the matrix. His true reality is being controlled by the puppet- handlers called the machines who use the human body as a source of energy. In the movie, Neo, finds and alternate reality and he has to go on a journey to discover himself and what is around him. Much like “The Allegory of the Cave” the prisoners in a dark underground cave, who are chained to the wall, have a view of reality solely based upon this limited view of the cave which is but a poor copy of the real world. Both the prisoners of the cave, and Neo from the Matrix, have to transcend on the path of ‘enlightenment’ to know the truth of their own worlds.
The "Allegory of the Cave" is an attempt by Plato to relate his thoughts and philosophy on human civilization into common terms. He believed that there are two planes of existence: the material world of the senses, and a higher world of thoughts and ideals. Plato's "Allegory" made it possible for people to more firmly grasp a somewhat abstract concept.
Truth is constantly sought out in Fountain and Tomb. Our young narrator is often like a detective, listening attentively to conversations, making keen observations of situations, and seeking out answers to questions he doesn’t know. “The day is lovely but redolent with mystery,” our narrator says, identifying all the unknowns in the world around him (Mahfouz, 15).
Wiehe, Roger E. "Jorge Luis Borges." Critical Survey of Short Fiction. Vol 3. Ed. Frank N. Magill. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Salem Press, 1981: 977-982.
“The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes,” states Sherlock Holmes (Doyle, The Hound of the Baskervilles loc 1238). According to TV Tropes, mystery is a genre of fiction where the plot revolves a mysterious happening that acts as the driving question. With any given problem there is a solution; however, and the question is “how does one come about to that solution”? Extremely high intelligence level, keen observation, creative imagination and sensitivity to details are just some of the qualities that Holmes possesses. In the process of solving mysteries, there is always a borderline between mere guessing, a coincidence, and a scientific approach that Holmes calls deductive reasoning. In Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's 1902 novel, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Dr. Mortimer seeks advice from Holmes as he explains the curse that has been plaguing the Baskerville family. With the power of deduction, Holmes realizes that Mr. Stapleton is actually a Baskerville descendant and has been planning to get rid of the other members of the family to claim the family fortune. Conan Doyle tells the reader what their mind is capable of doing by incorporating Holmes through his novels as he uses observation, deduction and knowledge in solving his cases. One important key that makes him different from most people is that he sees everything that people often neglect to pay attention to. A remarkable proof which shows that Holmes holds an extraordinary analytical mind and is uniquely capable of solving a mystery through his great sensitivity to minute details and the ability to draw connections from it was shown as he observes and deduces information from the letter received by Sir Henry Baskerville the moment he arrived...