The General in His Labyrinth

The titular labyrinth is a symbol of the General's impossible position. As he approaches his death, he is beset by a rush of memories and regrets from his past. These memories and regrets trap him inside an inescapable prison of his own past. Like the mythical labyrinth, this prison has no way out: The General cannot get away from what he has done in the past, nor can he forget the times he failed to act. The violence associated with a military uprising, such as executions and torture, has left an indelible imprint on his mind. Similarly, he remembers the women he might have loved, had he allowed himself to be emotionally vulnerable with them. These actions and inactions forge together to create a labyrinth of regret which, as his death approaches, overwhelms the General and tortures his increasingly feverish mind.

The labyrinth is an important symbol in the novel because it addresses the tension between the General's legacy and his happiness. To achieve what he has achieved would have been impossible without having regrets. As he nears death and as the Republic of Gran Colombia begins to fall apart, however, those regrets become more pronounced until they warp and overshadow the good that they accompanied.