Character and Genre in Jim Henson’s Labyrinth

By: Sammi YoungMedia Studies

Jim Henson’s Labyrinth can be depicted as a coming-of-age story. Themes of fertility and puberty play across the film as it depicts a young girl named Sarah who learns the value of growing up and obtaining a mature sense of life. References of emotional growth are joined by ones of physical growth. Although the physical references aren’t as noticeable, they work nicely with the other themes. Basic lessons we all learn as a child are shown. Sarah learns the lesson of fairness, taking things for granted, and fantasy roles. Throughout the film, Sarah states the lessons both actively and orally. The film depicts elements from genres of fairy tale, action-adventure, musical and children’s. Each of these genres play across several mythemes brought about through various similar stories. Hence, the story is a fairytale about a girl’s obsession with fairytales.

“You remind me of the babe. (What babe?) The babe with the power. (What power?)”-Jareth and Goblins ‘Dance Magic’ The first instance of bringing in the theme of fertility starts in Sarah’s loss of her baby brother, Toby. Jareth, The Goblin King takes the baby away under Sarah’s command leaving her to recover the baby’s absence. Not to mention, the entire film itself is based around Sarah’s finding of the baby. In the same sense, as Sarah grows closer to puberty/fertility, her search brings her closer to baby Toby. Hence, the baby serves as a motif representing the bearing of child and fertility.

“And Toby himself is threatened by his own kind of demented puberty. Jareth promises to keep Toby in his castle beyond the Goblin city – and turn him into a Goblin: “your baby brother becomes one of us, forever.” This transfiguration of Toby parallels Sarah’s own change, albeit on a more twisted level.” Hogbrain

The Lipstick MarkerJust as the Labyrinth remains in flux, so does Sarah. In a sense, the Labyrinth itself can represent Sarah’s body or temple. During puberty, the body changes; leaving no familiarity whatsoever for the newly evolved child. Once one reaches adolescence, their body begins to change and continues to change throughout life. As Sarah marks her path with her lipstick, the Labyrinth proceeds in its constant state of change when small creatures decide to move the floor stones she’s marked in a different direction. Sarah’s use of the red lipstick alone represents a young woman’s state of maturity.

“Perhaps the fact that the lipstick markers were unreliable indicates that Sarah’s dabbling in the world of adolescence (via the lipstick) leaves her only more confused and physically unsure.” Hogbrain

The “Bowie Bulge”When Sarah drifts into the masquerade ball, she plays in the role of womanhood as she dresses up and dances with Jareth. Portrayed by David Bowie, Jareth brings a great amount of sexual tension to the screen. His overt sexuality can represent a coming of age as men become fertile just as women do.  “Much as a child will want to stay up later and later and join parents and adults in the evenings, Sarah experiments with playing as a grown up.”

“His tight pants though, are undeniable. The “Bowie-bulge” acts as an in-your-face reminder that fertility is signified by change in men too.” Hogbrain

“Hey, her head don’t come off!”- Fierie GangThe strange, singing, limb-swapping Fierie Gang portray the idea of bodily changes. As they swap legs, eyeballs, feet, and heads; eternal puberty is flaunted as they proceed to frighten Sarah. The Gang forcefully attempts to change Sarah to be just like them as they aim to literally decapitate her. “Take off her head!” the Fieries exclaim as they chase her while she escapes.

“Would you go up, or down?”-Helping HandsWhen the Helping Hands ask for Sarah’s wish to go up or down, Sarah chooses to go down. Being given this choice could represent Sarah’s choice to stay a child or become an adult. Deciding to go down represents her fear or her lack of actually growing up. This also represents the constant struggle of going from childhood to adolescence. As she chooses to go down, the hands laugh at her decision as she was given the chance to return to her original path.

Genres: Fairy Tale, Musical, Children’s, Action-Adventure

Labyrinth can be considered among four different genres: Fairy Tale, Children’s/ Family, Action-Adventure, and Musical. It’s important not to forget that the word genre itself is French for “type” or “kind.” In this sense, we can see it as a system of classification framing or sense making based on similarity and difference. Genres make it easy on the audience as they are less critical. This creates an illusion that entertainment it not in fact ideological.

The film is for the most part a Fairy Tale as it uses motifs from common fairy tales such as Alice In Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz. It’s fair to say that the movie is a Fairy Tale about a girl obsessed with fairy tales. This can be seen throughout the plot. As The Viligant Citizen states:

“The plot of the movie is very reminiscent of the Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland, two stories that are incidentally known to be used in mind control programming. A young girl, bored and distraught with her normal life, finds herself in a fantasy land, where everything can happen. In order to go back home, she embarks on a dangerous quest to reach a great castle (not unlike the Emerald city of the Wizard of Oz). Along the way, the assertive girl uses her wits, courage and strength to go past the obstacles in a world where no rules are established.” The Viligant Citizen

“The enduring power of fairy tales lies in the fact that they represent, in figurative form, the process of healthy human development. They allow children to explore their own burgeoning and bewildering psyches. By identifying with the characters, and working through the choices and struggles depicted in fairy tales, children learn to cope with problems.” Into The Labyrinth

The implied Wicked Stepmother and Sarah’s basis for escaping to the Labyrinth:

The stepmother invokes this, saying Sarah insists on treating her like one. (Granted, she doesn't exactly take great pains to alleviate the situation, given the implication that she went into Sarah's room and took a doll without her consent to give to Toby, snapping at her about her dog, and indeed sort of treating her like an employed babysitter rather than a member of the family.) Her stepmother seems to be good at backhanded niceties; Sarah protests that her parents don't ask her to babysit anymore, they just expect her to do it whenever they want to go out on the weekend. Her stepmother says she'd be happy to hear that Sarah had a date instead. Considering that Sarah's an introverted loner with really nerdy hobbies, it's cruel of her mother to suggest that it's okay to take her for granted because she's not popular. Further following the wicked-stepmother story is her ineffectual, oblivious father; his idea of talking to his obviously troubled daughter who is having obvious trouble adjusting to her father's remarriage and new baby and the loss of her mother is to tell her he and his new wife will be back around midnight. No wonder she's dead-set on escaping into fantasy; the labyrinth is the only place she goes where anyone listens to her.

Alongside Fairy Tale, the film can also be considered a Musical as David Bowie recites songs. There is an alternate universe, with a touch of All In Their Heads for "As the World Falls Down". All four song-and-dance numbers take place in the Magical Land; moreover, unlike many musicals they aren't spread out amongst the main characters — the Fireys get one and Jareth gets the other three, suggesting that singing is simply a way they communicate with others.T he film plays with the

idea of work ethic vs. pleasure. In another sense, Sarah is battling between becoming an adult or remaining young and naïve. Her very sense of living inside of the fantastical world serves as a pleasure derivative. The very fact that she believes that she is consciously inside of this Labyrinth world suggests that she desires to be there. However, she knows that the right thing to do is to find her baby brother. On her journey, Sarah is tempted by The Goblin King and his promise to give to her the dreams she always wanted. Sarah is challenged by the fact that through all of these obstacles, she is still searching for her baby brother, Toby.

The film also shares the traits of a Children’s film. The film uses puppets which is a very kid friendly tactic. One could also argue that the fact that it is simply a Jim Henson film deems it to be a children’s film. Just as in children’s literature, responsibility and adulthood is learned. Themes of independence, overcoming challenges, and refusing to give up are common among the Children’s/Family genre:

“The story of the film is a variation on a classic theme from children's literature. Fifteen-year-old Sarah, in that twilight time when a girl begins to change into a woman, is staying home to care for her baby brother, whom she resents. A girl with an active imagination - her bookshelves are filled with the works of Lewis Carroll, Maurice Sendak and the brothers Grimm - she wishes her brother weren't her responsibility. ''I wish the goblins would take you away right now,'' she says aloud. And they do. The rest of the film is her journey to get him back - through the labyrinth of mazes, puzzles, magic and topsy-turvy twists of logic that must lead her to the center, where the goblin king is holding her brother.” New York Times, Nina Darnton (1986)

Labyrinth can also be considered an Action-Adventure film. Sarah and her friends are set out in search of her baby brother Toby. She goes across many obstacles to get to Jareth and defeat his temptation. If Sarah does not get to her brother on time, he will be turned into a goblin forever. The quest is to get him back home safe and sound. If Sarah fails this task, then Toby is a goblin. This shows that Toby will also no longer exist in Sarah’s actual world if she does not complete the task. As Trent states:

“There are several elements of the action/adventure genre that make this sort of tale appealing. Let's take a look at the characteristics of an action/adventure tale.

A Likeable hero that is usually male. This character follows a moral code, even if it is sometimes outside the law and uses his skills and ingenuity to extricate himself and those with him from dangerous or volatile situations.

Although Sarah is indeed a whiney girl, many of us can relate to her, which surely makes her an overall likable character. Sarah is very kind and generous to the friends she meets within the labyrinth. Sarah follows the code that she only has 13 hours given to her to complete the Labyrinth.. She befriends, Hoggle who is the helping character. Following the typical layout for Campbell's hero's journey, Sarah's separation and departure from the world occurs once she enters the world of the Labyrinth .She physically leaves the old world behind her. Before she enters the

Labyrinth though she meets her supernatural aid, Hoggle, who helps her later on throughout the movie.

An unlikable antagonist, or villain if you prefer. This character has no moral code, and is almost always outside the law, using their skills and ingenuity to thwart everything the hero does. This character loves being bad.

It can easily be stated that Jareth is the villain in this film. He is constantly trying to keep Sarah in the Labyrinth as he uses magic to change time and obstacles within the labyrinth. He is, after all, The Goblin King. Jareth enjoys his reign as he believes he envokes more power over Sarah’s journey.

There is always physical action. Characters are often placed in extreme situations.

Throughout the film, Sarah is placed in various difficult settings within the labyrinth. She is chased by The Cleaners in the oubliette, cast into The Bog of Eternal Stench, and sets off to sneak by and battle goblins within the city.

Almost always fast paced. The tale may start slow, but the pacing always builds toward the middle and end. The action pulls the reader along and into the story building toward a culminating event.

In the film, the story does start slow as it is only Sarah entering the Labyrinth. Once she starts befriending more characters, the story is pulled forward as her new friends aid her through the Labyrinth. The closer Sarah gets to the Goblin City, the easier and faster the story moves.

The setting is usually changeable, moving from place to place as we follow the protagonist through his journey. The setting is important because it underlines the sense of danger and obstacles to be overcome.” Trent, T.S. A Closer Look At Cross-Genre Adventure Writing

It is already obvious that The Labyrinth is in flux, which gives off that much more of an action-adventure trait. The Labyrinth goes from safer obstacles to more dangerous ones. Sarah is in constant decision-making process as she is required to decide which direction to go. Throughout the film, all of these elements are used.

Tempting Fate Mytheme: The Forbidden Fruit (Crystal Orb) in The Garden of Eden (Forest in the Labyrinth)/ The Orb as an Egg.

As a major representation of fertility, Jareth offers Sarah the sphere which can also resemble an egg. In another sense, the orb can also represent a Forbidden Fruit both literally and figuratively. Not to mention, in one of the opening scenes, Jareth’s orb takes the form of a snake (Lucifer?) thus representing the evil snake in the garden. In that light, Sarah can represent Eve in The Garden of Eden. This reiterates Sarah’s status as a fertile woman just as Eve was in the Garden. Here, the film depicts its Fairy Tale Genre through its mytheme of Tempting Fate. At one point in a lost forest, Sarah consumes the fruit given to her by Hoggle. Earlier in the film, Jareth’s sphere was transformed into a peach which is then given to Sarah when she states her hunger in the forest.

Prince and the Pauper Mytheme: The weak defeats the strong by revealing similarities. “You have no power over me.”-Sarah

Much like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, Sarah is meek as she sets forth into the Labyrinth. Not to mention, the meek almost always inherets the earth in stories such as these. In their climactic confrontation, Jareth circles Sarah as he explains how "generous" he has been to her up to this point. Sarah defeats Jareth in the idea that the whole thing is only a dream that is her own. “You have no power over me,” Sarah states leaving Jareth to flutter away and wake her from the dream. Here she is stating that she is not afraid of him. It is a sudden realization and mind screw for them both. The whole thing was all in Sarah’s head. As she recites this line from The Labyrinth play, Jareth is confused and defeated by these words. In this sense, they are similar as they both realize their own true worlds. One could argue that Jareth is finally discovering that he is all just a dream to her. Not truly existing and realizing a lack of great power over Sarah is his ultimate defeat.

Jack the Giant Killer: Conflict of individual cunning, intelligence, and perseverance over brute strength and power.

Much like applying to Harvard, the entire labyrinth represents the idea of only smart people passing. However, it's not really judging cleverness so much as the ability to think "outside the box.” The Labyrinth is essentially Jareth's plaything, and he is also capable of altering time there. Once Sarah and her friends reach the castle, she tells them she has to face Jareth alone, “because that’s the way it’s done.” Sarah’s

understanding of fairness plays through here. Jareth has realized the various times Sarah has complained about things not being fair. As a result, he tests her which leads to her ultimate understanding. Sarah manages to ignore Jareth’s appellations to her and focus on saving Toby. Their final encounter comes at the end of the film, where Sarah ignores Jareth's pleas for her to give up and defeats him by reciting the climatic speech from The Labyrinth book/play.

“How you’ve turned my world, you precious thing. You starvingly exhaust me.”

In Conclusion

While Sarah is shown to deeply resent her brother Toby at the start of Labyrinth, she demonstrates that she actually cares for him deeply by taking up Jareth's challenge to get through his Labyrinth in thirteen hours in order to save him. At the end of the film when Sarah returns home with Toby, she gives him Lancelot - the toy bear she believed had been stolen from her for Toby's sake at the start of the film - and tucks him in. This also represents the themes of fertility and puberty. In the beginning Sarah’s resenting of Toby shows her difficulty in advances to growing up. But by the end of the film, we see her love for her brother as she is shown tucking him into bed. As one can easily see, there are various genres and elements of these genres that take place throughout the film itself. Its various elements of genre can argue the film’s eligibility in refusing to conform to only one ideological belief. It is mostly a fairy tale, but also an adventure, a children’s film, and a musical. It’s a cult classic film about fertility and a young girl coming of age (and to terms with her own sense of reality). But it is also the story of intelligence defeating strength, the meek inheriting a world, the conflict of work ethic and pleasure (musical), and the similarities between the strong and weak. Beneath the genre, various mythemes play across the film’s plot. Jareth repetitively taunts and tempts Sarah with his offering of dreams. This is a sign of the Tempting Fate Mytheme. Here the idea of the Prince and the Pauper plays through as Sarah realizes it was all a dream; and Jareth realizes he is not in control of her dreams. They are similar in this way much like in the Prince and the Pauper. Sarah is able to finally remember the line in The Labyrinth play that defeats Jareth. The Jack and the Giant Killer effect of Sarah

knowing this final line is a signal that intelligence defeats the strong even though she is weak. This brings across lessons of life’s unfairness, mature attitude towards life, taking things for granted, and fantasy roles are depicted through Sarah’s actions both orally and physically. By the end of the film, Sarah has learned to grow up by retaining her dreams, but keeping them under control. References of growing physically and emotionally are depicted throughout the film itself.