Introduction
This literature review will provide an evaluation on literature available about Twin Peaks television series directed by David Lynch and Mark Frost (ABC 1990- 1991) according to sub-themes such as the symbolic meaning of objects in Twin Peaks focusing on the forest and its folkloric meaning.
It will include credible sources as well as some less credible sources such as blogs and web articles, however I believe that those sources should be looked at as well to broad the research, especially considering that Twin Peaks and its audience would consist of a big variety of people and opinions.
Through this literature review I intend to look for the gap in the knowledge about this topic and I am willing to expand this research later in my research project. This literature review will help me investigate how much research has been done about Twin Peaks and the folkloric meaning of forest.
What is Twin Peaks?
David Lynch’s and Mark Frost’s television series Twin Peaks is a multidimensional, metaphysical, neo-noir drama detective. It’s a surrealist masterpiece, intertwined with dark comedic moments of absurdity, juxtaposed against the deceptively serene sentimentality of mid-century Americana, suburbia and infused with esoteric symbolism.
When we first meet Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) in the pilot episode of Twin Peaks (ABC 1990 – 1991) he is fascinated with the trees he sees while driving to the small town of Twin Peaks.
The ending of the series features agent Cooper who lost his way through fear and became another victim of BOB, with the real Cooper trapped inside the Black Lodge. Cooper’s curiosity and desire for knowledge led him to being another body vessel for evil.
Folkloric meaning of forest
For ancient humans many natural places and phenomena around them were filled with symbolism and superstitions. Forests are an important and mystical as they can both provide the life and contain dangers that could also lead to death. Trees were seen and touched by early civilisations and are still utilised for food, fuel, clothing, shelter, weapons, household items and many other purposes such as art and religious objects. However, forests also seemed mysterious. Even lone trees, especially in barren spot could appear miraculous if they could provide a starving traveller with food and shelter.
Eliade and Trask suggest that driven from religious life in the strict sense, the celestial sacred remains active through symbolism. In many cultures cosmos was imagined in a form of a gigantic tree representing its ability of never-ending regeneration and life. Eliade and Trask additionally comment that “the mystery of the inexhaustible appearance of life is bound up with the rhythmical renewal of the cosmos”. Eliade, Trask and Crews both also claim that the image of the tree was not chosen only to symbolize the cosmos but also represent wisdom, youth, fertility, regeneration and life. Tree was a cosmic object in many cultures (or folklores), Eliade and Trask continue, with giving examples such as Yggdrasil of Germanic mythology. The history of religions recorded trees in a few different but similar interpretation: for example, trees of life Mesopotamia, trees of immortality (Asia, Old Testament), trees of knowledge (Old Testament), of youth (Mesopotamia, India, Iran), and so on. Summarizing this, it is clear that the tree expresses everything religious man regards as pre-eminently real and sacred, everything that gods possess and that can only be accessible to privileged individuals such as chosen heroes and demigods.
Forests have traditionally had a strong association with unconsciousness and serve as places for many fairy tales, myths and other great stories of the world.
Image of the central trunk with fingers reaching out in the air like fingers, bark that resembles skin has often been endowed symbolically with anthropomorphic characteristics bringing trees even closer to humans. However, Opotow and Clayton claim that contemporary society sees human life separately from animal life, and both superior of plant life.
In myriad of folkloric narratives ranging in historical eras forest is often a dark and evil place that a hero must overcome in order to gain knowledge or become a different person. Bettelheim similarly states in “The Uses of Enchantment”, that the forest setting frequently used as a set in fairy tales and refers to the to the act of hero entering the forest to “find oneself.
Mystic forest of Twin Peaks
It can be argued that he juxtaposition of civilisation versus nature is one of the most important topics and issues that are explored and visualised in Twin Peaks.
Fran Phaesant-Kelly has noted that “spatial conventions are inverted” in Twin Peaks as the elements of exterior intrude into internal spaces. For example, “Great Northern” hotel interior is almost like living in a tree, Leo and Shelly’s house is isolated in the forest. Shots of the buildings are usually framed by the forestry (sheriff’s office is shown dwarfed by the trees. Great Northern Hotel is in similar fashion looks like a small oasis of civilisation in the woods).
The unsettling tension between nature and civilisation, small suburban town versus mysterious forest that surrounds it. It is clearly stated in the title sequence shots where waterfalls and woods juxtaposed to the scenes of Packard Mill cutting the trees in a slow monotone way.
Bettelheim writes that forest is a great setting for any story as it can relate to any culture as it plays a big role in almost every folkloric narrative. Zipes agrees with Bettelheim, but expands that “Nothing gains power over the forest, but the forest possesses the power to change lives and alter destinies”. However, it is rarely stated in stories that the forest actually has powers, but it can be assumed that the dangers in the forest can be ambiguous, unexpected and often unexplained. In folklore forests have magic powers or magic people living in them whether they are Snow White, Robin Hood or BOB from Twin Peaks.
Neemann has written that “the marvelous becomes commonplace” in folkloric tales. Agent Cooper is astonished with the “…Big, majestic…” forestry of Twin Peaks as well as many other characters, whose connection to the forest becomes unveiled throughout the series.
Agent Cooper plays role of a hero in the series, he is determined in what he does, smart and very righteous. In order to overcome the challenge of solving Laura Palmer’s murder he goes through the forest during the investigation which leads him to unusual experiences and being able to go to Black and White lodges.
Conclusion
Whist looking for information on Twin Peaks I have come across articles that would cover research on a few different topics such as gender roles and sexuality, its new perspectives on acting performance and narrative, relation to Native American myths, and visual metaphors. The particular area of research I am interested in is the role that forest plays in the series and how it refers back to the folkloric meaning of forest and it’s esoteric meaning.
Looking through the scope of literature I have analysed, it seems like the presence of folkloric interpretations of Twin Peaks is very minimal, although I argue that it is a theme that can be explored and explained in more detail. It is arguable that the series’ narrative enigma is about the mystery of the woods, not the the initial murder case mystery that is suggested by the pilot episode.