3.5.08 | Danielewski [day3]
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Business
Procedure
Small Groups
Debrief
HW
– More questions
– Keep reading.
– Papers Friday.
PROCEDURE
• We will walk up to the café
upstairs.
• I will put a question on 6 tables.
• Sit at one of the tables. 5 people
MAX for any question.
• Discuss the question for 7 mins.
After 7 mins, I’ll ask you to write
a paragraph summary of your
discussion to leave for the next
group.
• Switch tables.
• Repeat. 2x
• At 2:10 we will retreat back to
the usual classroom to debrief.
Labyrinth
• The idea of a labyrinth is a recurring theme
throughout House of Leaves. Navidson
physically enters a labyrinth as he explores the
shifting walls of his house, a labyrinth of
authorship is created as the story is filtered
and refiltered through different authors and
editors, and there is even a picture of a
labyrinth on the cover of the novel. What is
the purpose of this theme and what effect
does it have on the story and the reader?
The Primary Narrator
Many readers debate about who the primary
narrator of the storyteller is, and who is ultimately
in control the story being told. Many wonder if
Truant controls the story, if the editors do, etc. In
retrospect, does the debate of who the primary
storyteller is really have relevance to the story as a
whole? sHould we not focus instead on what each
"storyteller" has to contribute to the text, instead
of who is dominant?
Academia
• What do you think House of Leaves says about
academic writing and academia in general? If
the Navidson Record actually existed do you
think Zampano's book about it would be
worthwhile i.e. have any meaningful stakes?
Navidson v. Truant
• Throughout House of Leaves one may
perceive striking similarities between
Navidson's problems of interpretation with his
house and Truant's problems of interpretation
concerning The Navidson Record. What
purpose do these similarities serve?
Everyday Belief
• All of the information that we are given in the book is filtered through
many sources, each of whom disagrees with the other, and none can be
considered truly reliable. But this is what we face everyday in real life from the media, teachers, parents, etc. - and yet we are still able to
believe in much of what we hear and read. The ultimate question of
House of Leaves is how do we form beliefs with imperfect information?
The only account that we are given second-hand is Truant's narration of
his own life, and so does this make Truant's life more believable than the
other events of the story? Why or why not?
• Much of Zampano's work on The Navidson Record is delivered in the style
of an academic paper, with footnotes, citations, and an overly academic
tone. However, with all of the contradicting footnotes added by Truant
and the Editors, we are lead to believe most of Zampano's "scholarly"
work is simply false. If one were to translate this to some broader meaning
for the readership, are we being warned to withhold absolute trust from
all forms of media, no matter how sincere or knowledgable? Furthermore,
is any reading into finding some broader meaning just a feeble attempt on
the part of the reader to ground this "story" in some semblance of reality,
when this text does nothing if not warp the term "real?"
The Letters
After Truant's epic fall in the tattoo shop (72), an odd footnote is left
by the Editors to advise the reader to examine the letters written to
Truant by his institutionalized mother. Here, much of Truant's
tumultuous childhood is exposed as well as his experience with
abandonment, violence, and abuse. The peculiar nature of his
relationship with his mother is also revealed through the
development of their written exchanges. The dark stories of
Truant's past add another dimension to his persona, elaborating
upon the idea of a troubled childhood.
In the footnote, the reader is given the option to disregard the obscure
letters and interpret Truant's character in his or her own way. How
do these letters affect the reader's perception of Truant? How does
this differ from the reader's impression without knowledge of the
letters? And why do the Editors offer this choice rather than placing
the letters within the novel itself?
Meaning and Reality
• Much of Zampano's work on The Navidson Record is
delivered in the style of an academic paper, with footnotes,
citations, and an overly academic tone. However, with all of
the contradicting footnotes added by Truant and the
Editors, we are lead to believe most of Zampano's
"scholarly" work is simply false. If one were to translate this
to some broader meaning for the readership, are we being
warned to withhold absolute trust from all forms of media,
no matter how sincere or knowledgable? Furthermore, is
any reading into finding some broader meaning just a
feeble attempt on the part of the reader to ground this
"story" in some semblance of reality, when this text does
nothing if not warp the term "real?"
Truant’s Role and Influence
• The purpose of Truant's character in House of Leaves
seems to be to provide an individual's interpretation of
the novel for us to in turn interpret and contribute to
its layering. Is Truant just a random character whose
sad and dark background we are provided with simply
to create interest and attachment to him or is
Danielewski trying to point out something about a
specific kind of reader? Could the 'novel' have had a
completely different interpretation if a very different
person's interpretation/footnotes was included in the
text? Or would it have been read and understood in
the same way regardless of whether an interpretation
was provided or whose it was?
Hallway as Metaphor
• How is the Hallway an interpretation of the
rest of the text, and a reader's approach to a
text? Is that what is important about the
hallway?
The Reader’s Role
• What is the role of the reader in this book?
Basically, does Danielewski intend for readers
to get something out of this book/does he
want them to accomplish something? If so,
what? Otherwise, why not? How does the
form of the writing impact this role? And
finally, who is the intended audience?