In the ballroom scene, is Sarah still in the Labyrinth? |
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In the ballroom scene, is Sarah still in the Labyrinth? |
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From: [email protected] (b d holmes)
� � � In the ballroom scene, is Sarah still in the labyrinth?
ANOTHER LONG-WINDED THEORY FROM DOPPELGANGER:
there is one school of thought which suggests that the ballroom was a mere figment of the imagination. i agree with this school. there is another equally respectable school which holds to the opinion that the ballroom was suspended in air in a bubble over the labyrinth. i agree with this school as well. the two are not separated by so great a degree that they may not be reconciled to each other. neither are they as contrary as may at first glance appear. let me give an apologia: the crystal did indeed transport sarah physically from one area of the labyrinth to another, as is evidenced by the facts that
1) ludo is seen to be perplexed by the floating ballroom, and
2) sarah's eventual precipitation deposits her in a different part of the labyrinth than that which she had been in before the dream. which brings me to the next point:
jareth's crystal bubbles were inherently "dream machines." when he made the promise, "turn it this way and it'll show you your dreams," he was really saying, 'take this and forget." on a tangent --in accepting his offer, might not sarah have become subject to his fantasies (ie the ballroom scene), and consequently believe them to be her dreams, merely because he said so? ("...do as i say and i will be your slave") forgetfulness [as in oblivion] was jareth's main weapon. first, he used the direct approach: ("go to your room. play with your toys and your costumes. forget about the baby.") failing, he then tried to tempt her with the offer of the crystal. the oubliettes, as hoggle said, are "places to put people to forget about 'em." the peach was designed to make sarah forget, and likely, as a catalyst through which the dream could occur. jareth apparently decided that if she wouldn't accept his offer of her own free will he would simply have to force it upon her. note that the peach was really one of his dream crystals in disguise. (what then, for later discussion, is the significance of the snake?) the trash lady (who in the original script was actually jareth) tried to make her forget by enticing her into a false sense of security. lastly, in the final confrontation jareth made one last attempt to seduce her, knowing of her tendency to forget "the words." he was there, remember, when sarah said, "damn. i can never remember that line." so the bubble is merely a ploy, and one of jareth's fantasies which he is trying to convince her could be hers as well. (i wonder what was in the other bubbles?) during this scene the labyrinth becomes a symbolic structure rather than a physical one. the struggle is taking place in sarah's mind. only when she sees the clock and remembers her true purpose is she able to break the spell. it may be symbolic as well that sarah is facing away from the clock when she first enters, but it is clearly visible to us. her focus at that point is on jareth. the final, and i daresay, conclusive, bit of evidence for the entire thing being a dream, is that sarah is still holding the peach when the spell is broken, whereas no such thing was evident within the dream. bad peach, bad dream. the worms are symbolic as well, you see.
well, kids, that's my theory. great big thanks to anyone who sat through it. next week's topic: THE RIGHT WORDS. until then, stay at peace, my darlings.
disperse!
*doppelganger
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