Fairytales and their Fans

Dear Diary,

I am well aware that you have been the landscape for my doldrums. You need not remind me. And as I am unable to forswear ever doing so again, I hope that you may take the following as a peace offering... yes, I actually decided to use my brain to think on matters other than my morbid feelings. Now, there will be emotions imparted, but I do so solemnly swear that tonights post will not be so damn depressing. What shall we be discussing, you ask? Well, fairytales and their fans: where does all the symbolism go?

Sincerely,
Me

~ * ~

There are far too many fairytales to cover at once, so this may be a post that is revitalized over time as new tales are discussed, but, for now, we're going to mull over one of my childhood favorites: The Labyrinth. Jim Henson and his motley crew brought to life a story that is timeless as well as being rich in symbolism.

• A young girl on the cusp of womanhood
• The Fey--beings of magic.
• A Labyrinth--a maze with choices of path or direction.
• An owl
• "Intuition, ability to see what other do not see
• Capacity to see beyond deceit and masks
• The traditional meaning of the owl spirit animal is the announcer of death, most likely symbolic like a life transition, change (spiritanimal.info)."

• A peach--european symbolism: speaking the truth from ones' heart (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peach)

.... and the list goes on and on. I focused primarily upon this list because many of these symbols are closely tied to the main character, Sarah in regards to the hinted at romance with her antagonist, Jareth. Also, I adore the use of these symbols in tandem with the girl who is evolving into a woman because even as they provide a level of mysticism, there is still room for their inate symplicity. We're simply discussing that transition for Sarah--with all of its darkening themes of growing away from childhood, and of burgeoning sexuality. 

Moving on, let's now throw in the "Fans" aspect of the conversation. And what do we have? A loss of all of that juicy symbolism to be honest! I recently began haunting fanfiction.net, and I've had my noise stuck in over a dozen of The Labyrinth fanfics. And now, as I blink into the bright light of day, I realize that almost every single one turns the tale into a smut fest that all too often has a high capacity for abuse in their narratives. Where is the homage that Henson intended as a gift to his daughter (the additional interviews that come with the digital copy of the movie are a gem to watch), and where is the story itself? The lines blur too much for me, and there are only so many scenes of bondage, blow jobs, and baby making that I can stand to read before I roll my eyes and hit the close button.... Don't get me wrong, I can read a smut novel with the best of them, but there comes a point where the meaning is lost and leaves the reader going "huh?"

So, here's my challenge! Let's discuss what twist the tale can take while keeping in mind the lines of symbolism that can guide us... keep us on the rails, so to speak. I'm not saying that we all must forsake the romance between Sarah and Jareth--but keep in mind that we're looking at a fifteen year old with an older man, and I'll give credit to many of the fanfics I read, they did a wonderful job of allowing some growth there for Sarah before delving into the hanky panky--because we all adore a good tale of love, every angsty inch of it.

On my part, I see the potential for the Persephone cannon for when Sarah ate the peach which then, in turn, brings to mind the concept of Snow White who bit the apple that placed her into a death-like slumber/whereas Sarah was cast into a dreaming state by the bite of a peach, ect. As some of you know me personally, you know that I could go on for days with ideas... so let me leave you with this image:

Sarah recited the words that made the world fall apart, "You have no power over me," and thus, she won the game she played against Jareth. The prize? The freedom of her baby brother. But what she did not know was that those were not the words which she would come to rue....

"My Kingdom is as great," she had declared to the Goblin King, and at the strike of thirteen hours (for remember, she had defeated the game in only ten), the Labyrinth answered. A kingdom came into being in parallel to the Goblin's own, a mirror image of a maze surrounding a castle in the distance. The difference, a lone form slept within its towers, and now the Goblin King must trek the insidious pathways that at once seem so familiar but in reality are dangers untold so that the wild magic at work can be contained before the Otherworld is truly cast as something only found in dreams....

Ack, what have I done! I meant to tease and titillate my readers, not give myself another project! My intentions were to prompt the idea of a fan fic where Sarah's victory is not undone or diminished, but instead, the idea is one that merely plays along with the rules of countless fairytale cannons and engulf her back in the world of what makes the tale so fantastical. I have the sudden urge to mutter to myself while simultaneously giggling like one of the fan girls I so often taunt.

There's nothing for it... 'What's said is said.'

But enough about me and my sinuous daydreams. How do the symbols and the tale speak to you?