Subject: Alliteration in MAZE by Christopher Manson. Date: Wed, 05 Jan 2000 03:51:18 -0700 From: IF To: John Bailey CC: Alexander Boroson , Carl Muckenhoupt , nwdave@cyborganic.com, Steven Marsh , chris@questrel.com I THINK I might be on to something. I've realized that several (if not all) of the room illustrations of the Maze contain incongruous objects that all begin with the same letter. In some cases I admit it's been a stretch to find the connection but in other rooms the alliteration has been either so obvious or so clever that I feel it must be quite intentional. The question is: Does this bring us any closer to the answer of what is for me, far and away, the most intriguing question of the Maze: Who Is the Narrator? I've listed my finding's below, hopefully this proves helpful to some. Note that this is a VERY rough draft, just the notes I threw together, many of the rooms I had No Clue about and many other's I was very skeptical of what I did find, so anyone who wants to refine what I've started is more than welcome to. Room 1: S (maybe) Objects: This one has several objects with the same initial letter but none feel particularly compelling. They include sunlight, shadow, story (both the word itself and the fact that all the words above the doors are types of stories), scraps, scrolls, symbols, and a sieve (on the door to 26). Text: The text includes the following words beginning with S--sinister, sun, something, spent, some, silences, sounds, story, soul, seen. That's almost enough to make up for the ambiguity of the visual objects. Room 2: C Objects: The objects in this room with the letter C seem more viable than in the first room, mainly because they're more subtly hidden. The objects include a crusade (in the fresco), cardboard, a picture of the crescent moon, cutouts seen through the center door, and a chair. Text: Only the words "correct" and "confidence" appear in the text. Room 3: S Objects: There are several objects here beginning with S, but S is a common letter, which weakens the theory. Objects include a stick figure on the wall, the picture of the sphinx, a sign, a stop sign, a scroll, the sun on the door, and a steam radiator. Text: Again, lots of S words. Stay, sign, sides, situation, stairs, some sort. Room 4: H (maybe) Objets: The problem here is that there are several objects that don't begin with H. The ones that do are the heavens (in the ceiling), hands, the picture of holes, a hatchet and a hammer. Text: Just "hall" and "hadn't". Room 5: C (maybe) Objects: There aren't many objects that stand out in the room at all, and the sign is unexplained. However, the flower appears to be a camellia and there is also an illustration of a castle, carpets and cut limbs. Text: The text contains: choices, chances, choosing, counting, corridor and came. Room 6: Unsure Room 7: Unsure, possibly P, M, or L Objects: The primary problem here is that not all the incongruous elements have a similar starting letter. Candidates are P (portraits, pair [in the up-center painting], Picasso [the far left painting], pull toy), M (mirror, monk, magistrate [right-center portrait], men) and L (lamp, landscape [at far right]) Text: P: pleasant, picture, pick, played, pictures. M: Music. L: lamp, looking, likeness, like, leaving. Room 8: B Objects: Once again, several of the objects have the same starting letter but there are noticeable objects (like the drawing on the floor and the candlestick) which don't. Those that do are the bare bulb, the broad grin (hanging above the far right door), the barber pole, the bowl, the bumbershoot (the umbrella, as it is termed in the text later on), and the bowling pin. Text: Bulb, bowl, broke. Room 9: A (maybe) Objects: The objects starting with the letter a in this picture are well hidden, but again, not all the objects start with A. The cleverest one in the star in the partly obscured painting on the right edge. The Latin word for star is "astra" which is not as far fetched as it sounds because entering this room requires passing under the statue in room 27 with the Latin inscription (going to work on getting this translated, I'll keep everyone updated). Also, looking closely at this picture we can see domes an minarets such as an Arab city would have (Hmm... an arabian city with a star..Bethlehem? It would have the same starting letter as the blind mouse on the other side of the room). Other A objects include the apple, the angel, and the armor on the figure in the torn painting. Text: Appeared, an, a, artist. Room 10: Unsure. Possibly V or B Objects: This was difficult and even the two letters I was able to find don't seem too compelling. V is supported by the volcano (Vesuvius?), the valises, and the Victorian bed. B has the bed, the bumbershoot (again), the box, the ballet dancer, and possibly the paint Brush. Text: V: Voices. B: Behind, but. Room 11: P (maybe) Objects: The support for this one seems rather vague, but P objects include point (the hand on the sign), pin, pen, push-button, please (written on sign). Text: Paths. Room 12: Unsure Room 13: S Objects: S is a common letter, but this had enough words cleverly hidden that I felt I was probably right. S words include the spotlight, sundial, shadow, skeletons, speaker, and sign. Further, the clock is pointing to Six and the last word in the list on the sign would be Second. Text: Superstitious, some, six. Room 14: Unsure. Possibly P or B Objects: Another ambiguous room. If we go with P then there's a paper clip, a paw and a plug. This doesn't explain the concentric circles on the wall however. If on the other hand we go with B then that's a bulls eye, and the table has a bear claw foot with a ball. Perhaps then the paper clip would be bait? Text: P: Prove, pay, path. B: Biggest. Room 15: H Objects: This room convinced me that there was something to all this alliteration business. Obviously there's the hats, the house, the hare, and he heart (the back of the chair), but the clincher is the list of names on the right wall. The characters listed were all written about by Homer. Text: Heard, hurrying, here, he, had, himself. Room 16: Unsure Room 17: Unsure. Possibly A or S Objects: This room has a deficit of interesting objects. The ones I can see either start with a (amphorae, arches [Roman, square, and gothic]) or S (sign, sand, sun [on right door]) Text: A: Amphorae, advice. S: Sand, said, so, should. Room 18: Unsure. Possibly C, M, or F Objects: Unlike room 17, this room has a plethora of notable objects, but there's THREE possible letters: For C I see clefs, chord, chairs (are those cane chairs?) and curtains. For F there is the face, the fire, and the frieze (the dragon above the mantle). M is supported by the mantle, music, and mouth. Text: C: Curtain. F: Floor, fire. M: Music. Room 19: Unsure. Possibly A, P, or S Objects: This is the same situation as the previous room, but the objects aren't as cleverly put together. I'm very doubtful on this one. A has artist, Apollo (the statue, with the sun standard) and ass (well, it IS pretty obvious). P has portico, pots, and painter. S has the most possibilities with shrubs, stone, sun, shadow, statue and staff, but this might just be because S is a very common letter. Text: A: A, aside. P: Portico, politely pushed. S: Shaded, stone, someone, squinting, strong, sat, some, singing, soon, see something. Room 20: T Objects: The most overwhelmingly alliterative of all the rooms, this one sports a tortoise (turtle), tower (turret), thunderbolt, table, telephone, and a Turk in an turban. And could those papers on the floor be the Times? Text: The, them, too, they, think, tortoise, turtles. Room 21: C Objects: Another fairly clear room. The three objects that really stand out in this room all begin with C: the caduceus, the crescent wrench, and the crane. Text: Containing, called. Room 22: P (maybe) Objects: My logic on this room is iffy, but I can't think of anything else. P here is supported by the pitchfork, the pedestal, the pigtail, and the pendant lamp (I know that's what they're called 'cuz we just used them for a set I designed ;). Also, if we read the up-right sign backwards to get "womans jewelry" that gives us the possibility of pendant again. Text: Places, people, play. Room 23: S Objects: I don't feel very confident on this one and I imagine that the alliteration I was able to find just comes from the fact that S is a common letter. The room does contain however a storm, the sun, stars, shattered glass, a scroll, shoes (on the hat rack) and stone tablets with the Roman numerals six and seven. Text: Step, suggested, seeking Room 24: Unsure. This is the Dark Room Room 25: Unsure Room 26: S Objects: There's almost too many S objects in this room to be believable. They include the stage, Saturn, the salt shaker, satan, and the two men shushing each other. Text: Supposed, something. Room 27: Unsure Room 28: Unsure Room 29: S (maybe) Objects: This is the room with the hidden door and almost all the objects in the room allude to that (how I was able to overlook it for years I'll never know). However, if the room does contain a letter, I'm guessing it's S (again, that super common letter) because of the staves, the sign, the sheet, the shadow and the salt/pepper shakers and the spatula above the doors (another hint to turn the page upside town, all the objects above the doors are things that "turn"). Text: Smaller, staff, snatched. Room 30: Unsure Room 31: B (maybe) Objects: There aren't really any incongruous objects in this picture, they're all very well integrated. However, if there is a letter It would have to be B because all the notable elements in the room (the bricks, the branches [which are actually Bones], the basket, and the broom) all begin with that letter. Text: Brick, bone-white, branches, boards. Room 32: B (maybe) Objects: Another "possible" B room because of the bricks, the bags, the bird, the bars around the staircase, and the beard on the statue. Something just doesn't seem too convincing about this however, though I can't think of a better concept. Text: Broken, broken (used again in a difference sense), bird, beginning. Room 33: C (maybe) Objects: There are a lot of objects referenced in this room that have no apparent initial letter connection. The only one I could come up with (and it is vague at best) is between the cart on the picture at the top center, the crown next to the number seven and what looks to be a cello by door 35. Also, might the drum above the unmarked door be playing a cadence? This is all very ambiguous, I'd like something more concrete. Text: Crowded, center, caution, considering. Room 34: Unsure Room 35: Unsure Room 36: Unsure Room 37: Unsure Room 38: S (maybe) Objects: Yet another S room. The most obvious object is the Sign which contains the word See, a simian, and an arrow pointing to its snout/sinus. Also in the room is a shoe with it's sole torn off, a slippery slide, a snapped key (above the slide... ok, that might be stretching it a bit) and sculpture. Text: Space, some sort, soon sorted, slippery slide, shoes. Room 39: W Objects: These are somewhat vague as well, but not entirely unbelievable. W objects include the wood toy, the picture of the willow, the wine, the word :way: in the door, the wedge holding in the barrels, and the wheel on the shelf. None of this however has to do with the Cask of Amontillado image of the table of mathematical squares. Text: What, wine, wall. Room 40: Unsure Room 41: T Objects: This room seemed fairly clear to me. The picture of the toad, the toadstools, the trumpets, the wooden target and the girl pointing to her tresses all seem to point to T. Text: Trust, that, they, themselves, to. Room 42: B (maybe) Objects: I'm uncertain of this one and would welcome anyone else's comments here. What I can see, the boots, the bumbershoot (for the third time) and the bear seem to point to B, but there are many other objects in the room that have no connection, especially the "pair" images on the doors. Text: bit Room 43: Unsure Room 44: P Objects: This was the room that started me out on this insane quest. It started when I noticed both the pillar and the palm started with P. Then I realized that the central statue of the helmed woman was Athena: Pallas Athena, to use her full title. And look! The statue on the far left is a female indian. Pocohantas! I knew I was on to something. Text: Palms Room 45: Not Even Going to Try. Well, for what it's worth, I hope that inspires some people. Let me know your findings! Ian Finley