Oran tells Sarah that “Grief is a dark labyrinth.” What do you suppose he means? Do you agree? In what ways are loss, grief, and healing tackled within the narrative?

Oran tells Sarah that “Grief is a dark labyrinth.” What do you suppose he means? Do you agree? In what ways are loss, grief, and healing tackled within the narrative?

A labyrinth is meant to lead you to the center. It's not a maze that is meant to confuse you. Grief goes through different steps. We see the characters go through different types of grief but in the end the labyrinth leads them to the peace at the center and they can move forward unhindered.

Cheryl said it beautifully. A labyrinth requires strength to accomplish and everyone does it at their own speed. Oran was still grieving after seven years. He understood that Sarah’s grief was real and would never truly leave.

There are dead ends, blocked passages, and twists and turns to reach the center of a labyrinth where one is supposed to find a place of peace and serenity. Grief is like that. Just when you think you’ve figured out a way through, you find a roadblock. Grief is a journey. Everyone finds the center in his or her own time.

The above comment by vivianh says it best. Life is really a labryinth with expected and unexpected twists and turns. Grief is part of that trip thru the labryinth, it is unescapable on your journey through life. I just like how eloquently the author maneuvered the trip through it.

the definition of labyrinth could be the same as grief "a complicated irregular network of passages or paths in which it is difficult to find one's way", grief is never a straight line it can come and go in waves, some days a dark depression, some days the grief is bearable.

Everyone above said it beautifully...I agree!

I totally agree that grief is a dark labyrinth. You must journey to the center of the pain in order to heal and come back out on the other side. But sometimes you need to revisit that labyrinth to help when those times get tough to deal with.

I agree with tillieh. Often one can be consumed by the darkness of grief, but even taking little steps can help the person to heal a bit.

Grieving is a series of steps, often taken in small doses. However even little steps can bring healing. For some of us it takes very little time to get through the process, especially if we are anxious to get beyond it. For others it takes more time, patience and understanding on part of the griever and their immediate circle.

I agree with all the comments. Well said!

I think Oran means that grief can be a slippery slope down into a maze of emotions from which it is difficult to overcome. That is, Oran was warning Sarah that the path through grief is not the same for everyone, and thus, the healing time is different for each individual.

grief is dark in the early stages as time moves on not as much seems to get lighter, but sometime a song, picture will bring one back to a dark place. Everyone deals with it differently.

Grief, like a labyrinth, is a series of starts and stops. When you think you're making progress, you may suddenly get stuck. You need to keep pushing forward to get towards the end, even when it feels like you're completely lost.

Many characters in the book were grieving: Sarah for her baby, Anna and her family for Milly, Mr. Hawley for his wife, Oran for his wife. Within the labyrinth of grief, folks look for signs of their deceased loved ones. Anna was guided by Milly in her dreams. Oran recalled his wife in the snowdrop flowers. Though the dead are no longer on this earth, symbols can serve as their remembrances.

Grief overwhelms and confuses. It twists and turns. Sometimes you go the right way, and other times you get lost. Like finding your way in a labyrinth. There is no one clear path. It turns you around and forces you to find your way by wandering. Grief is like that. It never really ends, it just becomes more bearable. You may find the center, but you are still surrounded by the grief and loss. Even escaping the labyrinth doesn't make it disappear. It looks in the background and in your memory, like grief.

There is nothing to add to the comments that have gone before--all of which are true and well expressed

Grief is a process. In the story Sarah, Oran and Anna have all lost someone. They all deal with it differently, but in the end I think they all come out the other side. To do this they have to acknowledge their loss rather than keep things in the way they feel others want them to, no more hiding their feelings.

Grief has a progression, often different for most people, but ultimately following the same steps. Often you have to get to the bottom of something, grief included, before you can begin to feel better. When feeling it at it's worst, there is only one way to go - up to feel better.