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Themes
Themes and Colors
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Piranesi, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
In the novel, Piranesi forms deep connections with the non-human inhabitants of his world. From birds and tides to statues, halls, and skeletons, these entities, both living and dead, are just as much Piranesi’s’ friends, allies, and confidants as the Other—the sole other human inhabitant in the labyrinth, which is known as the House. These beings not only aid Piranesi in his travels throughout the labyrinth, but also provide him with companionship and emotional connection. Upon learning of his amnesia, for instance, Piranesi seeks refuge in the familiar arms of the Faun statue. Through troubled, Piranesi finds solace in its presence; to him, the statue is just as imbued with personhood and is just as a human as he or the Other. Piranesi extends this inclusive vision of “personhood” not only to the skeletons, whom he regularly feeds and converses with, but also to the House itself, to which he attributes human attributes like “kindness” and “beauty.”
Piranesi’s relationship with world transcends mere anthropomorphism, however. His relationship with the birds of the House, for instance, reaps real-world benefits, like when they use coded messages warn him of an incoming storm or the Other’s betrayal. In short, Piranesi exemplifies the kind of relationship which the house’s discoverer, the professor Arne-Sayles, suggests “Ancient Man” shared with the world around him: his “dialogue” with nature does not “simply happen in his head,” but in the “real world.” Though Piranesi’s abilities vanish upon exiting the House, he does not entirely forget them, and it changes the way he interacts with the world around him. Unlike his contemporary modern humans or his past self, Matthew Sorensen, he sees little value in money or material things and finds the busy, transactional nature of modern life wearisome. Ironically, then, Piranesi’s stint in the labyrinth allows him to achieve what Arne-Sayles always sought: the wisdom of the ancients. While his theories may not be legitimate outside the novel, the novel seems to suggest that they contain a kernel of truth: that is, modern humanity has lost a priceless means of connection to the wider world, but one does not need to travel to another world to recover it. Humans need only remember that they, like Piranesi, are an Inhabitant of the world.
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Human vs. Inhuman Worlds ThemeTracker
The ThemeTracker below shows where, and to what degree, the theme of Human vs. Inhuman Worlds appears in each part of Piranesi. Click or tap on any chapter to read its Summary & Analysis.
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Human vs. Inhuman Worlds Quotes in Piranesi
Below you will find the important quotes in Piranesi related to the theme of Human vs. Inhuman Worlds.
Part 1 Quotes
The Beauty of the House is immeasurable; its Kindness infinite.
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Prayer-like, this saying reappears often throughout the novel and symbolizes Piranesi’s love and idolization of the House, as well as his personification of it. While the House is essentially Piranesi’s word for the world, it is not—as shown here—a passive, abstract idea to Piranesi. He has just escaped death by flood, and the discovery of a marble finger in his hand is, to him, proof enough that the House had a hand in his good fortune. Just as with the statues and the birds, Piranesi sees the House as endowed with agency, and he has no trouble believing that the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debiti
In all of these places I have stood in Doorways and looked ahead. I have never seen any indication that the World was coming to an End, but only a regular progression of Halls and Passageways into the Far Distance.
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Seemingly endless, Piranesi’s world, or “House” as he calls it, is filled with repeating elements, like Doorways, Halls, Passageways, etc. While this might sound to the reader like a drawn-out metaphor for own world, for Piranesi, this is his entire reality, and he does not question it. Piranesi may be a scientist and careful about making hasty conclusions—notably, he does not outright conclude that the World is endless, but that there is no “indication” of an “End”—but he does not think anything is unusual with his world, nor his place within it. This establishes Piranesi’s starting point as a character: Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferen
And You. Who are You? Who is it that I am writing for? Are you a traveler who has cheated Tides and cross Broken Floors and Derelict Stairs to reach these Halls. Or are You perhaps someone who inhabits my own Halls after I am dead?
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Here, Piranesi addresses the reader, the supposed “sixteenth” person of the world. Unlike the other people in his “list of all the people who have ever lived,” however, Piranesi does not know who the reader is, nor if they even exist. His knowledge of the word is limited to his observations, and though he can imagine there might be someone to read his journals, he is uncertain: as far as he knows, there have only ever been 15 people to inhabit the House, and only two are still living. His curiosity about the existence of another human being is thus Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae
Part 2 Quotes
I lined a fishing net with heavy-gauge plastic. Inside I placed what I thought was the right amount of nesting material for two such enormous birds. It approximates three days’ fuel. This was no insignificant amount and I knew that I might be colder because I had given it away. But what is a few days of feeling cold compared to a new albatross in the World?
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Here, Piranesi gifts the two Albatross material to build their new nest. Though this comes at a significant personal cost to Piranesi—the material he gives them is what he uses to keep himself warm—he does not think twice about the sacrifice. This speaks not only to Piranesi’s selflessness and generosity, but also his reverence for the natural world and its inhabitants, human or otherwise. Piranesi perceives an interconnectedness between the different inhabitants of the House and sees it as his duty to care for others as they do him; he doesn’t see himself as superior simply because he’s a human Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit
So this, as far as I can tell, is what the birds told me. A message from Afar. Obscure Writing. Innocence eroded. Interesting. I will allow some time to elapse—say a few months—and then I will examine this communication again to see if the intervening events can shed any light upon it (and vice versa).
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Here, Piranesi attempts to interpret a message from the birds. This is a testament to the strength of Piranesi’s bond with the animals of the House, not just in that he is able to understand them, but that also that they would choose to communicate with him in the first place. Clearly, they share the same feelings of interconnectedness that Piranesi does and see it as their duty to help him. Their shared lexicon of the House’s various statues proves essential in this venture, for it is through them the birds attempt to warn Piranesi of coming events, flying to Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci voluptate et. Voluptas suscipit al
That being said, it occurs to me to wonder why it is that the House gives a greater variety of objects to the Other than to me, providing him with sleeping bags, shoes, plastic bowls, cheese sandwiches, notebooks, slices of Christmas cake, etc. , etc., whereas me it mostly gives fish. I think perhaps it is because the Other is not as skilled in taking care of himself as I am. He does not know how to fish.
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This passage underscores one of the central ironies of Piranesi’s character. Though a rigorous scientist when it comes to exploring and cataloguing the House and its many wonders, he rarely inspects his relationship with the Other with the same level of scrutiny. He assumes on very little evidence that the Other is his friend, and as is the case here, and he is quick to dismiss any evidence to the contrary. The Other’s seemingly miraculous ability to procure supplies otherwise unavailable in the House, such as sleeping bags and shoes and batteries, for instance, should send off alarm signals for Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accu
I realized that the search for the Knowledge has encouraged us to think of the House as if it were a sort of riddle to be unraveled, a text to be interpreted, and that if we ever discover the Knowledge, then it will be as if the Value has been wrested from the House and all that remains will be mere scenery. The sight of the One-Hundred-and-Ninety-Second Western Hall in the moonlight made me see how ridiculous that is. The House is valuable because it is the House. It is enough in and of Itself. It is not the means to an end.
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Piranesi expresses his growing disillusionment with the Other’s search for the “Great and Secret Knowledge.” Though he has long followed the Other’s direction, his trip to the One-Hundred-and-Ninety-Second Western Hall has made him realize here that their goals are fundamentally misaligned. Unlike the Other, who sees the House as some “riddle to be unraveled” or “text to be interpreted,” Piranesi realizes that he values the House as an end “in and of Itself.” His vision of scientific endeavor, in other words, is one of appreciation, not exploitation; the point of learning about something is not to gain something from it, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum vol
Part 4 Quotes
One sentence puzzles me: The world was constantly speaking to Ancient Man. I do not understand why this sentence is in the past tense. The World still speaks to me everyday.
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Here, Piranesi puzzles over the use of the past tense to describe how the world used to speak to “Ancient Man.” For him, the World is not a static backdrop, but a dynamic, lively force that takes an active role in his daily life. The notion that such a connection is a relic of the past does make sense to him: He speaks to the world “everyday,” and, from his perspective, it always speaks back. So deep is his sense of connection that Piranesi considers himself a child of the House; in a very literal sense, he sees the world Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae
Part 6 Quotes
This annoyed me. ‘I do not see why you say I can only see a representation in this World,’ I said with some sharpness. ‘The word “only” suggests a relationship of inferiority. You make it sounds as if the Statue was somehow inferior to the thing itself. I do not see that that is the case at all. I would argue that the Statue is superior to the thing itself, the statue being perfect, eternal, and not subject to decay.’
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Here, Piranesi’s challenges Raphael’s implied hierarchy between their two worlds, questioning her assumption that a representation is inherently inferior to the thing it represents. In fact, from his perspective, the statues (which represent various ideas and concepts), “being perfect, eternal and not subject to decay,” are superior to the things represent. This belief borrows heavily from the Greek philosopher Plato’s theory of forms, the idea that the physical, or real, world is less “true” than the eternal forms from which it is derived. Piranesi clearly agrees with this position, a product not only of his bias towards the House, but Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaqu
