Labyrinths in Balzac's Ferragus

Labyrinth imagery in Balzac's Ferragus (1833) is extensive and diverse. It depicts heroic struggle, both in the real world and in the hero's imagination. Two sorts of labyrinth are evoked: Gaston Bachelard's "soft," alimentary labyrinth, and the hard labyrinth of Crete (with thematic equivalents of Theseus, the Minotaur and Ariadne). The imagery of puzzles, analogous to that of the labyrinth, also plays an important role in this novella. (JWM)