1) How is science fiction different from
fantasy, according to Le Guinn?
2) How does Attebery (1980) define Fantasy? Find at
least five definitions?
3) In what ways does Tax
(2002) suggest Earthsea may still be relevant today?
4) What are some archetypes that often recur in fantasy fiction? Give
examples from Earthsea and other fantasy works you might know.
5) In what way is The Wizard of Earthsea a ‘coming of age’ novel? Does it
escape from the ‘boy’s own adventure’ story? How are Ged’s adventures different
from Tintin’s?
Question 4
ReplyDeleteWhat are some archetypes that often recur in fantasy fiction?? Give examples from Earthsea and other fantasy works you might know.
Archetypes infuse fantasy writing, as well as all other genres, with life and meaning. Various fantasy history include them. Some archetypes that often occurs in fantasy fictions are usually the bad witch, or the good mentor, the evil queen.. the good powerless girl… The wizard often appears as an old man, white long beard, powerful and wise. Wizard such as Gandalf in The lord of the rings and Albus Dumbledore from harry potter books are featured as mentors, give the guidance necessary to the young wizards, showing them how to use their power for the good good cause only and beat the evil. However, wizard can also be terrible forces, capable of great magic ,both good or evil. Usually in Fantasy comics, it is expected that the mentors, wizard are capable of great feats such as those of miracle. In A wizard Of Earthsea, the archetype is the young boy Ged, trying to find his way in life, he is inpatient, young and powerful, trying to learn how to use and control his power to fight against the bad and the evil magic.
Quite a good answer, but common character types, like a bad witch, are not archetypes. Please check back to Vogler's list of archetypes: trickster, shapeshifter, shadow, herald etc. Your answer really only covers one archeype - the mentor
DeleteWhat are some archetypes that often recur in fantasy fiction ?
ReplyDeleteArchetypes, meaning “A very typical example of a certain person or thing” in this case the thing we are looking at is fantasy genre. “Archetypes infuse fantasy writing, as well as all other genres, with life and meaning. Many famous fantasy stories include them.” (Peake) Although I only read Earthsea for the first time recently immediately I noticed some similarities between this novel and others I had read and enjoyed in the past. states, “More than any other genre, Fantasy literature has many characteristics in common within its works, owing to the shared references of its authors throughout the years and the universal nature of its stories.” (Allen 2012)
One archetype that really stood out was the imagery and character description used to describe the great and powerful “leaders” or “Mentors” in this case the Archmage, Nemmerle. There is a strong connection and similarity between this character in earth sea, Dumbledore in Harry Potter and Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings. They all portray characteristics that makes people trust, worship and follow them. What’s interesting is the looks they are given. With the long grey/white hair and the long beard matching their hair colour. This is something easily recognised by readers or viewers (If film) and immediately they make connections and get an understanding of the type of character this person is.
Another featured archetype is the aspect of rivalry or an enemy. What is a fantasy without some classic conflict? A strong example of this in Earthsea is the rilvary between Ged and Jasper it is obvious there is immediate jealousy and you can almost anticipate that the outcome isnt going to be them being best friends . It is typical of two teenage boys to have that competitiveness and the desire to be better than each other however with Jasper being older and more mature he is able to handle to conflict whereas Ged is to power hungry and in order to try and prove himself makes a horrible mistake that has a big impact on his training. This is something also seen in Harry Potter with the rilvary between Harry and Malfoy. Immediately from the start it is clear that Harry and Malfoy will be enemys as Harry is kind and caring of others and stands up for his friends. Malfoy is not used to anyone standing against him and from then on the battle is on.
Peake, M (n.d) Arcetypes in Fantasy Writing. Retrieved August 10, 2016, from
http://fantasyguide.stormthecastle.com/fantasyguide_essays/archetypes-in-fantasy-writing-by-marilyn-peake.htm
Allen,M. (2012) Character Archetypes in High Fantasy Literature
As with Camille, the answer is pretty good, but lacking in consideration of other archetypes as listed above.
ReplyDeleteQ: How does Attebery (1980) define Fantasy? Find at least five definitions.
ReplyDeleteIn the first chapter of 'The Fantasy Tradition in American Literature: From Irving to Le Guin,' Attebery gives us many of his own ideas about what defines the fantasy genre as well as offering us some ideas from other notable authors. A few of those definitions are as follows:
1. Fantasy is an overt violation of what is generally accepted as possibility…whatever the material, extravagant or seemingly commonplace, a narrative is a fantasy if it presents the persuasive establishment and development of an impossibility, an arbitrary concept of the mind with all under the control of logic and rhetoric. (Irwin, 1976.)
2. Fantasy is founded upon the hard recognition that things are so in the world as it appears under the sun; on a recognition of fact but not a slave to it. (Tolkein, 1965.)
3. Any narrative which includes as a significant part of its make-up some violation of what the author clearly believes to be natural law – that is fantasy. (Attebery, 1980.)
4. Fantasy can involve beings whose existence we know to be impossible, like dragons, flying horses or shape-shifting men. It can revolve around magical objects: rings, hats, or castles possessing wills, voices, mobility and other attributes inanimate objects do not. It can proceed through events that violate fundamental assumptions about matter and life. Fantasy treats these impossibilities without hesitation, without doubt, without any attempt to reconcile them with our intellectual understanding of the workings of the world or to make us believe that such things could under any circumstances come true. (Attebery, 1980.)
5. Fantasy is a game of sorts, and it demands that one play whole-heartedly, accepting for the moment, all rules and turns of the game. The reward for this extra payment is an occasional sense of unexpected beauty and strangeness.
Attebery quotes both Eric Rabkin and Tzvetan Todorov, though admits both of these explanations are more an explanation of a different sub-group of fantasy and not fantasy as a whole:
6. Fantasy is that hesitation experienced by a person who knows only the laws of nature, confronting an apparently supernatural event. (Todorov, 1973.)
7. True Fantasy is represented by Alice in Wonderland and the internally consistent mode favoured by MacDonald or Tolkein is classed, without further examination, as fairytale. (Rabkin, 1976.)
8. A better work of fantasy can also engage us intellectually and morally by presenting the clash of ideas and issues in simple and concrete form. It can clarify philosophical and moral conflicts, embodying them in story lines that may not be directly applicable to our own complex and muddied lives but which can please or inspire because of their open and evident design. That is one of the most important accomplishments at which fantasy can aim, to give comprehensible form to life, death, good and evil. (Attebery, 1980.)
Sources:
Attebery, B. The Fantasy Tradition in American Literature: From Irving to Le Guin, 1980, p 1-10.
As quoted by Attebery:
Irwin, W.R. The Game of the Impossible: A Rhetoric of Fantasy, 1976, p 4.
Rabkin, E.R. The Fantastic in Literature, 1976, p 25.
Tolkein, J.R.R. On Fairy Stories, published in Tree and Leaf, 1965, p 55.
Todorov, T. The Fantastic: A Structual Approach to a Literary Genre, 1973, p 25.
In what way is The Wizard of Earthsea a 'coming of age' novel? Does it escape from the 'boy's own adventure' story? How are Ged's adventures different from Tintins?
ReplyDeleteA 'coming of age' novel is defined as a genre in itself that follows the young protagonist from childhood to adulthood. The Wizard of Earthsea is a coming of age novel because it follows Ged, the protagonist, as he matures and navigates a life with power. Ged takes on the responsibility of protecting his village when the army invaded. This is definitely a big part of Ged's personal growth.
The Wizard of Earthsea does have an element of the 'boy's own adventure' as Ged is brave and does exciting things. Ged is a hero. Tintin, is also considered a 'boy's own adventure' and I feel like that phrase does apply strongly to Tintin. I think the difference between both stories is that the audience can see more depth to Ged and invest in his story. I don't believe that Ged goes out looking for adventure or to help others, he is trying to understand his powers and strengthen them. Tintin enjoys investigating and saving the day and I don't feel like Ged does, which is refreshing.
2) How does Attebery (1980) define Fantasy? Find at least five definitions?
ReplyDeleteFantasy is a fiction genre that embodies supernatural and magical elements as the main plot, theme or setting. Fantasy stories frequently involve quests or journeys for the protagonist and unlike genres with a realist setting, the fantasy genre will provide characters with a magical realm of mystical creatures and settings throughout the story.
Following the reading authored by Attebery(1980); there are other extended definitions of the Fantasy genre that he provides, along with citations by prominent authors. Thus, this post will state the five definitions, and whether they can relate to the primary text.
1) For starters, Attebery cites Irwin (1976) who states that the primary feature of a fantasy genre is “an overt violation of what is generally accepted as possibility... a narrative is a fantasy if...presents the persuasive establishment and development of an impossibility.” Thus, in Earthsea there is an overt sense of magic and supernatural themes that could not be made possible in a realist world and only that of fiction.
2) "And fantasy treats these impossibilities without hesitation, without doubt, without any attempt to reconcile them with our intellectual understanding of the workings of the world." (Attebery, 1980) So with all the fictional and mystical occurrences in Fantasy stories like Earthsea, the reader must separate their non-magical reality in order to fully delve into the story.
3) “Fantasy is founded upon the hard recognition that things are so in the world as it appears under the sun; on a recognition of fact but not a slave to it. (Tolkien, 1965)
4) “Fantasies which contradict, not our accepted model of the world, but rather the model generated within the story itself.” (Rabkin,1976) Thus, Ged's numerous and careless mistakes in Earthsea result in an outcome(i.e being hunted down by evil magical beings) that can only be understood in his magical and supernatural world and not a human world like ours.
5) “Fantasy invokes wonder by making the impossible seem familiar and the familiar seem new and strange.” (Attebery, 1980) Therefore, there is an infinite scope of what an Fantasy story can range from due to it's flexibility towards realism and make-believe.
References:
Attebery, B. (1980). The fantasy tradition in American literature: From Irving to Le Guin. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
Irwin, W. R. (1976). The Game of Impossible: A Rhetoric of Fantasy. Urbana, Illinois: University of Illinois Press.
Rabkin, E. R. (1976).The Fantastic in Literature. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press.
Tolkien, J. (1965). Tree and leaf (p. 55). Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
4) What are some archetypes that often recur in fantasy fiction? Give examples from Earthsea and other fantasy works you might know.
ReplyDeleteChristopher Vogler describes seven archetypes who appear in stories.
1) Hero- the protagonist, has unusual circumstances, leaves family/ or has no parent, event leads to quest, achieves the goal of the story only at terrible personal cost, gets supernatural help, character development. Ged is the Hero in Earth sea.
2) Mentor- provides hero with training and guidance, hero can have multiple mentors. In karate kid, Mr miyagi taught the hero karate.
3) Threshold Guardian- provides the obstacles to the hero at period of transition in the story. To get past this guardian the hero must fight them, answer riddles, solve problems, e.t.c. i.e the forbidden door in harry potter.
4) Herald- come to put the hero into action, they can be human,acts of nature or objects. in lord of the rigs, the herald is the ring.
5) Shapeshifter- somewhere along the heroes journey, the hero meets this archetype, a shape shifter could be a literal attribute of a figurative one,Shapeshifter usually know they are pretending to be something they’re not, and are careful to hide it from the other characters.
6)Shadow- the shadow is often the antagonist of the story, shadow is the opposite or absence of light, it is there to create fear and tension in the story. for example in the wizard earth sea, Ged's main competition is his own shadow. It's a necessary part of him, and it's not something that he can really kill, so he has to recognise that it's part of him.
7)Trickster- there to provide entertainment and wit/foolishness. He is someone who plays tricks and is there to create uncertainty and reminds the readers to prepare for the unexpected. In lord of the rings, Gollum leads Frodo and his companions while secretly plotting ways to get the ring back from them.
Vogler, C. (2007). The writer's journey. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions.