EDU12ACL – Australian Children’s Literature FANTASY STORIES © La Trobe University, David Beagley 2006 Lecture 3 Heroes and Heroines: En-gendering the Heroic in Fantasy Literature

Recommended Reading Babbitt, Natalie (1987) Fantasy and the Classic Hero. in Innocence and experience: essays and conversations on children’s literature. ed. Barbara Harrison & Gregory Maguire. Boston: Lothrop, Lea and Shepard (on E-reserve) Golden, Jill (1994) Heroes and Gender: children reading and writing. English in Australia. No. 110, December (on E-reserve) Hourihan, Margery (1997) Deconstructing the Hero: literary theory and children’s literature. London: Routledge. (hmc HOUR)

Definitions What is a hero? Inherent values? Defined by circumstances? Therefore, defined by story Gender?

Universal story patterns in hero fantasy What is a hero fantasy? Forms and structures typical and repeated Most common are Quest stories Indicates traditional origins in myths, legends and epics – e.g. Iliad, Odyssey, Beowulf, Arthurian cycle Despite grand scope, focus is on the individual

Universal story patterns in hero fantasy Provides common structure in which authorial individuality or particular details can be explored Danger of cliché and formulaic story/characters Danger of perpetuating stereotypes – both narrative and social

Universal story patterns in hero fantasy From Robert Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces - the fantasy hero follows an ancient path, universal to all cultures, and that journey describes truths about life and living. See also Carl Jung – archetypes The key stages of the journey are: SEPARATION INITIATION RETURN

Universal story patterns in hero fantasy The Call to Adventure The Herald Threshold Succession of Trials Protective Figure Victory/quest fulfilled Recrossing the Threshold

Heroic agency Agency – the capacity to act Agency is socially determined – i.e. it reflects what society allows or expects of the hero Male agency – reflects male social stereotype Physical, aggressive, confronting danger, risk taking Female agency – reflects female social stereotype Nurturing, caring, repairing, submissive Thus, characterization problem for an author: Hero or Heroine? Should the key female show male agency or female agency? Is the heroic behaviour appropriate in her society? … or the reader’s society?

Identification with the Hero, or the Heroic? The Reader identifying with the Hero The vicarious experience of reading Balancing the imagined persona of the Hero with the known limitations of social reality Male readers can match the two expectations Female readers encounter the contradiction of the social dualism – the heroic and female agency Challenging this social dualism

But … Reinforce the traditional Ideals of femininity maintained (clothing, appearance, physique etc.) A “good” man is required to provide the male attributes of physicality, strength, assertiveness etc. Female does not overpower enemy, but enables “healing” or repair of situation. Romance is just around the corner, and defines the successful ending

Voices The voice of the hero and the voice of the author Male author presenting a female voice / female experience e.g. John Marsden: So much to tell you, Letters from the inside, Tomorrow and Elly series, Checkers, Winter Does the social dualism enable a female author to write a male voice more convincingly than a male author writing a female voice? e.g. Rowlings writing Harry, Rodda writing Rowan, Wrightson writing Wirrun, Jinks writing Pagan Tamora Pierce, Kate Constable, Anne McCaffery

Voices and messages Do either of Sabriel or Shædow Master claim the femininity of their heroes as essential to the heroic quest, or is it incidental? What is socially appropriate for the hero? What is their relationship with the key male characters? Are they defined by those relationships? Does their femininity enable or detract from active participation by the reader?