Folktales, fear, and sexuality: Jim Henson’s Labyrinth and Sarah in the realm of fairytale

In this thesis I will examine the ways in which Labyrinth (1986) explores the idea of growing up, through interaction with fear, sexuality and childhood, using the language and imagery of fairytales and folklore. I discuss Sarah’s heroism both as a subverted fairy tale heroine, referencing Angela Carter's The Bloody Chamber (1979), and as a chivalrous knight, I examine the Labyrinth as Sarah’s mind, and as a built world beholden to the whims of its creators, and I explore Sarah as the object of male and adult desires and fear. Labyrinth (1986) is a much loved cult classic, directed by Jim Henson, written by Terry Jones, Dennis Lee and Jim Henson, and produced by Eric Rattray, this essay will touch on the ways in which this male creative team both succeeds and fails in portraying the journey of a teenage girl into adolescence.