The whole movie seems like a sexual allusion. Here's this girl on the brink of adulthood who resents her little brother (childhood) and is tempted by a man to enter his world of the dark and unknown. He woos her by granting her every wish and dream as long as it serves within his purpose. In order to reach the man she has to endure a treacherous maze (puberty?) and can only do so with the aid of her friends. But yet when she finally does reach it, she chooses to hold onto childhood a little bit longer and turn away from the man although the invitation back is always open to her. When Jareth sings in Underground "It's only forever" he might mean that once you become an adult you are an adult for the rest of your life. Sarah chooses that instead of quickly going to adulthood that she will take small steps to get there and passes her childhood onto Toby while still retaining her part of it too (Hoggle et al).
The whole movie seems like a sexual allusion. Here's this girl on the brink of adulthood who resents her little brother (childhood) and is tempted by a man to enter his world of the dark and unknown. He woos her by granting her every wish and dream as long as it serves within his purpose. In order to reach the man she has to endure a treacherous maze (puberty?) and can only do so with the aid of her friends. But yet when she finally does reach it, she chooses to hold onto childhood a little bit longer and turn away from the man although the invitation back is always open to her. When Jareth sings in Underground "It's only forever" he might mean that once you become an adult you are an adult for the rest of your life. Sarah chooses that instead of quickly going to adulthood that she will take small steps to get there and passes her childhood onto Toby while still retaining her part of it too (Hoggle et al).