EDU11GCL – Genres in Children’s Literature FANTASY Lecture 1 Defining fantasy in Children’s Literature © La Trobe University, David Beagley 2005

Lecture slides available: See also: Reviews Library Guide to subject resources Authors and illustrators

Definition Stories with events/episodes/happenings not consistent with accepted reality (Huck) Question – Who determines what is consistent, accepted and reality?

Definition JRR Tolkien – “On Fairy Stories” in Tree and Leaf, and The Monsters and the Critics … fairy-stories are not in normal English usage stories about fairies or elves but stories about Fairy, that is, Faërie, the realm or state in which fairies have their being Primary world / Secondary world Secondary world is NOT “make believe”, “blossom and butterfly fairies” with implied inferiority and un-reality World of Faërie - the Perilous Realm – the fey with contiguous and equivalent reality Fantasy is its own reality, not an escape from, or pale shadow of, ours

Definition Key element is IMAGINATION the capability of “forming mental images of things not actually present” ( Tolkien ) Imagination is key to human understanding “to boldly go where no man has gone before” “the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” (Lao Tzu, c.550 bc) Suspension of disbelief “Dreaming the Future” dreaming of future truths - dreaming the truth.

Dreaming of future truths Exploring the boundaries of reality and knowledge. Many great scientists (eg. Einstein, Galileo, Hawking) had powerful imaginations, dreamed up ideas rather than just testing reality. What could be, rather than what is Scientism, Empiricism, Humanism – “consistent with accepted reality”

Dreaming the truth Using imagination to understand reality – speculative fiction Enables broad concepts (e.g. Good, Evil, Heroism, Truth etc.) to be explored and explained free of the grey areas of the everyday. Clear focus on specific aspects without the distractions of “relevance”. Removes from the immediate, fears to be overcome (the safety of distance). Allows narrative and structural contrivance for the “dreaming”.

The Other “the journey of a thousand miles begins beneath one’s feet” (Lao Tzu) Any journey begins from where you are Our world must be the starting point for “The Other” – the secondary world An aspect of accepted reality is altered eg time, place, (a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away), size, skills, identity, social fabric … But the rest of reality remains – contiguous, consistent, co-existent - the worlds walk side by side, “the inner consistency of reality” (Tolkien) Cosmography - Cosmology

The Lure of the Other Fantasy stories are usually asking ‘What If?’ Creative questions such as: … animals could talk? … children could fly? … toys come alive? … you could travel across the galaxy? … you could become invisible? … magic was a human skill? … dragons (trolls, elves, orcs, psammeads) were?

Types of Other Wish fulfilment – “lonely child” Time change – time slip/swap, past/future Heroic – prove self, go beyond limits Animal - anthropomorphic Parallel worlds Utopia (perfect world), Dystopia, Apocalyptic Toys and dolls Size change “Beyond” normal abilities - magic Science fiction Traditional myth and legend

Origins Much modern fantasy is based on fantasy works of previous centuries: Thomas Malory: L’Morte d’Arthur (1485) Jonathon Swift: Gullivers Travels (1723) Lewis Carroll: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) Jules Verne: 20 thousand leagues under the sea (1875) H.G Wells: The Time Machine (1895) And of the early 20 th century James Barrie: Peter Pan ( ) C.S. Lewis: The books of Narnia ( ) JRR Tolkien: The Hobbit (1937), The Lord of the Rings ( )

Sort into Categories: Winnie the PoohThe Hobbit Alice in WonderlandThumbelina The Wizard of OzCharlotte’s Web PaddingtonCharlie and the Chocolate Factory Watership DownPinocchio Playing Beatie BowThe sword in the stone Wizard of EarthseaLord of the Rings Star WarsThe Borrowers Mary PoppinsSnugglepot and Cuddlepie Dr WhoFive children and it