Fantasy

Fantasy: Two meanings Fantasy can be seen as a psychological phenomenon Fantasy can be seen as a form of literature

Fantasy literature Fantasy literature (and film, TV, etc.) presents the audience with a world, characters, events or circumstances that are either ‘impossible’ or so unlikely that any reasonable person would not believe that they either had previously happened or are likely to happen in the ‘historical world’

Influences on fantasy Fairy stories are sources of much of the content found in contemporary fantasy Elves, dwarves, dragons, witches, etc. Classic myths have often inspired the plotlines as well as contributing characters to the fantasy genre Heros, quests, fairy stories, Greek myths, conflicts between good and evil

Related genres or subgenres Dark fantasy--------Horror Science fantasy--------Science fiction Superhero fantasy

What attracts us to fantasy? Pure escapism Simplification, clarity of exposition Basic, primal themes and characters Invokes a sense of wonder 1. One argument is that we enjoy pure escapism Simply being immersed in a fantasy land with mystical or nonhuman characters is said to be enjoyable in and of itself Questionable 2. Another argument is that by taking control over the environment the author can simplify the conflicts, provide clear characterization that is not muddied by experience, etc. 3. A third explanation is that these timeless stories are that way because they touch something basic and primal in the human psyche Freud’s views on the conflicts involved in maturation, the id, the ego, the superego Jung’s archetypes as collective unconscious 4. A fourth explanation is that they invoke in us a sense of wonder The sense that has declined in the face of secularization, science The same need for a sense of wonder that sparked the religious revival of the 1970s and 1980s

Common features Magic/mysticism Monsters Non-human characters Often taken from Nordic mythology Classic sexist stereotyping Recent moves toward less stereotyped portrayals Human heroes Knights, kings, common men pressed into service