EDU11GCL – Genres in Children’s Literature
FANTASY
Lecture 3
High Fantasy
© La Trobe University, David Beagley, 2005
High Fantasy
Issues:
• What is “High” Fantasy
• JK Rowlings and Harry Potter
What is “High Fantasy”?
Key reading:
CW Sullivan, (2004) High Fantasy, in The
International Companion Encyclopedia of
Children’s Literature, ed. Peter Hunt, vol. 1.
436-446
href 809.89282 INTE
What is “High Fantasy”?
What is Fantasy?
• Stories with events/episodes/happenings not
consistent with accepted reality (Huck)
• Primary world/Secondary world
• Balance of “the extraordinary and the probable”
Butts (2004)
• Mimesis – desire to imitate, to share reality
Fantasy – desire to extend , to alter reality
Hume (1984)
What is “High Fantasy”?
What is “High” in the fantasy?
• Scale of story – epic, grand, world-shattering thus, scale of issues
• Literary elements – tone, writing style
• Characters – noble and base, good and evil
• Philosophies – morality, lifestyles and choices
• Reference and allusions - Links to other grand or
famous stories
• Suggests a real hypothesis about humankind’s
future or about the nature of the universe (and
our place in it).
What is “High Fantasy”?
• Is more serious and demanding
• Complex narratives characterised by certain
recurring themes and motifs
• Conflict between good and evil often the focus.
• Scale is worldwide or universal
• Frequently take place in created worlds or
imaginary kingdoms – secondary world is distinct
and complete – cosmology is often a key to the
resolution
What is “High Fantasy”?
• Characters may call upon powers for good or evil
• Often a quest to fulfil.
• Major character is often “super”-natural and key
to resolution
• Goodness, truth, courage and wisdom prevail.
• Ancient powers: Nargun and the Stars, Wirrun
trilogy, Sabriel/Lirael/Abhorsen
• Struggle between good and evil: Narnia, Lord of
the Rings, Star Wars, Over Sea Under Stone
• Quest and adventure: The Hobbit; A Wizard of
Earthsea; Beowulf; Odysseus/Ulysses
• Or both: Arthurian cycle, Harry Potter
Harry Potter and the
Philosopher’s Stone
Biog. info on JK Rowlings
•
•
•
•
•
Born 1965 in Chipping Sodbury
Keen writer at school
Studied French at Uni, taught in Portugal
Developed Harry character and story outlines
then, and returned to England
Initial rejection, then boom bestseller
•
•
•
•
Use of initials for boy readers
Style of books (and plots) “grows up” with Harry
Books are planned in great detail as a sequence
Draws heavily on legends and history
Harry Potter and the
Philosopher’s Stone
Literary elements (borrowings from past texts)
• Myths & legends: stereotypes of witches and
wizards, broomsticks, owls, cats etc.
• History: Nicolas Flamel and alchemy, Latin spells
• Other writers:
Dickens – streets of Victorian London,
Blyton – Malory Towers / Famous Five / Magic
Faraway tree
Harry Potter and the
Philosopher’s Stone
Censorship
• Magic and the Occult
is magic promoted as an active mechanism to
solve the key problems or reach the resolution?
• Death and Violence
Are they necessary to establish the themes, or
the details gratuitous
Are the likely readers able to make such moral
judgements?
Harry Potter and the
Philosopher’s Stone
Popularity vs critical accord
Appeal of books:
• for children – “at least they’re reading” –
literature or literacy?
• for adults – escapism
• What is a “good” book?
• Bridge to other literature
Harry Potter and the
Philosopher’s Stone
Harry as High Fantasy
• High does not necessarily mean Best
• The main events happen to Harry because they
have to, not because he chooses to act
• Great questions of Good and Evil, of world
threatening events
• As a literary creation, Harry Potter has
introduced so many readers to fantastic worlds