How do mythological allusions in Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves establish the novel’s setting of the house on Ash Tree Lane?
Introduction
Literature has, since its conception, maintained a close relationship with religion and mythology – not only through religious texts and mythical canon. Much prose and poetry embrace the use of allusions: textual references to other works or bodies, and these references serve to better elaborate a part of the text and/or connect the reader to the text through something familiar (Cuddon 27). One can find prevalent evidence of both these uses of allusion in Mark Z. Danielewski’s 2000 novel House of Leaves.
It is difficult to simply call House of Leaves a novel. Rather, the book is comprised of various …show more content…
The film revolves around Navy and his family, who move to a home in western Virginia so as to spend more time together. However, soon Navidson realizes that his house is not what it seems to be and discovers that there is a hallway that extends for miles contained inside the house. This hallway shifts and transforms into anything at will, at times becoming a huge antechamber, a set of rooms, or a spiral staircase. “The Navidson Record” covers the forays into this labyrinth and the damage the house inflicts, both physical and psychological, to the inhabitants of the house on Ash Tree Lane. The reader never directly watches or read a manuscript of the film; instead, Navy’s story is presented through a massive analytical piece of the film, also entitled The Navidson Record. Written by a recently deceased and mysterious old, blind man named Zampanò, The Navidson Record both recounts and offers multiple theories as to the …show more content…
The research question is “How do mythological allusions in Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves establish the novel’s setting of the house on Ash Tree Lane?” The Navidson Record, along with Johnny’s story and the appendix, are abundant of mythological allusions. The house is seldom physically described, as its mutability and utter darkness leaves little to be depicted by means of imagery. Instead, Danielewski uses familiar references to religion and mythology to provide an idea of the novel’s setting. By analyzing specific uses of mythology (including Greco-Roman, Judeo-Christian, and Norse references) in House of Leaves, as well as secondary mythological/religious sources (i.e. the Bible), Danielewski assists the reader in constructing a definitive image of the house on Ash Tree
Introduction
Literature has, since its conception, maintained a close relationship with religion and mythology – not only through religious texts and mythical canon. Much prose and poetry embrace the use of allusions: textual references to other works or bodies, and these references serve to better elaborate a part of the text and/or connect the reader to the text through something familiar (Cuddon 27). One can find prevalent evidence of both these uses of allusion in Mark Z. Danielewski’s 2000 novel House of Leaves.
It is difficult to simply call House of Leaves a novel. Rather, the book is comprised of various …show more content…
The film revolves around Navy and his family, who move to a home in western Virginia so as to spend more time together. However, soon Navidson realizes that his house is not what it seems to be and discovers that there is a hallway that extends for miles contained inside the house. This hallway shifts and transforms into anything at will, at times becoming a huge antechamber, a set of rooms, or a spiral staircase. “The Navidson Record” covers the forays into this labyrinth and the damage the house inflicts, both physical and psychological, to the inhabitants of the house on Ash Tree Lane. The reader never directly watches or read a manuscript of the film; instead, Navy’s story is presented through a massive analytical piece of the film, also entitled The Navidson Record. Written by a recently deceased and mysterious old, blind man named Zampanò, The Navidson Record both recounts and offers multiple theories as to the …show more content…
The research question is “How do mythological allusions in Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves establish the novel’s setting of the house on Ash Tree Lane?” The Navidson Record, along with Johnny’s story and the appendix, are abundant of mythological allusions. The house is seldom physically described, as its mutability and utter darkness leaves little to be depicted by means of imagery. Instead, Danielewski uses familiar references to religion and mythology to provide an idea of the novel’s setting. By analyzing specific uses of mythology (including Greco-Roman, Judeo-Christian, and Norse references) in House of Leaves, as well as secondary mythological/religious sources (i.e. the Bible), Danielewski assists the reader in constructing a definitive image of the house on Ash Tree