Cruz-Maldonado, Jose A.

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Finding the path: The library as labyrinth in Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose
(2019-05-13) Cruz-Maldonado, Jose A.; Haydock, Nickolas; College of Arts and Sciences - Art; Romaguera, Gabriel; Irizarry, Jose; Department of English; Alvarez, Jaquelina
This thesis focuses on the labyrinth found within the library in the award-winning novel by Italian author Umberto Eco, The Name of the Rose. This research explores how the library labyrinth represents a postmodern embodiment of the traditional labyrinth archetype extending far beyond the walls of the Aedificium. This thesis project analyses the history of mazes, the mythology where these structures are used, and literature that inspired the author. The labyrinth of the novel is looked at as an architectural feature that embodies Eco’s medieval world and how mazes in other aspects of literature have come to have similar symbolism. Furthermore, this project will look at the individual characters that became maze walkers in the library and contrast the book with Jean-Jacques Annaud’s take on the novel through his 1986 film. Additionally, comparisons are drawn with other works that use mazes and labyrinths in postmodern fiction and the YA genre.