The Man in the maze

            Much like a maze, one's "life is lived forward but understood backwards"(Cariou, 88) since the results of one's decisions can never be foreseen entirely unless, of course, they are viewed after the fact. In Larry's Party by Carol Shields, the main character, Larry Weller, develops a fascination with mazes that ends up turning into somewhat of an obsession. In the novel it becomes evident that Larry's life, in fact life in general, mirrors a maze in it's path. The maze becomes a prominent symbol throughout the novel as Larry struggles to find his own path. Larry's irreversible choices, his blind journey, and his final goal , all develop an imaginary maze that depicts Larry's journey through life as he decides and discovers who he is.
             Larry's first life defining decision, though he takes it rather lightly, results when his well meaning mother, in an attempt to get her son to go to college after high school, accidentally applies him to a floral arts program to which he is accepted to and attends for lack of anything better to do, much to his father's dismay. Larry ends up excelling in the floral arts program though he is one of only two males and shortly after his finishing the program he gets a job at "Flowerfolk", a locally owned flower shop. While Larry is working at the flower shop he is suddenly faced with the decision of whether or not to marry his now pregnant girlfriend, Dorrie. Larry does end up deciding to marry Dorrie though at times it is hazy as to whether he is doing it out of obligation or out of love. This decision has a large impact on Larry and the course of the rest of his life, for it is on his and Dorrie's honeymoon that he discovers mazes. Larry also makes another important decision after deciding to marry Dorrie, he decides to cut his shoulder length hair that he has had for the last decade and get a more conservative short hair cut. Though this does not seem like anything incredible, it shows that Larry has decided to grow up and conform a little to the adult world as he realises he is soon to become a husband and a father.