House of Leaves | Themes

House of Leaves Themes

The Ever-Changing Hallway

The key element within the story is the hallway that constantly changes. Navidson notices that the walls start changing around him. Sometimes they are closing in on him (the ceiling too) and other times they are more spread out and the ceiling seems much higher. Sometimes both ceiling and walls seem to be so far away that he's not sure he's traveling in a straight direction. He moves at 30 miles per hour on his bike and fears he will fall off the edge if he comes to the end of this hallway.

Originally, the hallway consists of a single narrow stretch of space. As the days and weeks pass, the hallway changes. Doors, rooms and staircases appear out of nowhere. It is ultimately what intrigues Navidson to the point of madness to research the hallway and find an end. He feels...
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