What is Fantasy? Attebery (1980) states that fantasy is a genre, a
structure, a state of mind. It is the act of imagining impossible or improbable
things. It is also an idea about doing something that normally does not exist. Fantasy
makes you enjoy thinking about a pleasant situation but it is unlikely to
happen as it far removed from normal reality.
Attebery
(1980) also states that books like; The Lord of the Rings, Narnia, and George MacDonald’s
magical stories etc. is what he means by fantasy. All these books share similar
fantasy elements, key themes in an imaginary world. The Hobbit and The Lord of
the Rings were also famous fantasy works.
He also refers
back to what Irwin (1976) had stated what a fantasy genre might be, “an overt
violation of what is generally accepted as possibility”... In addition,
Attebery supports Tolkien’s (1988; 1964) idea that the genre is “created upon
the recognition that things are so in the world as it appears under the sun; on
a recognition of fact but not a slavery to it."
Lastly,
as Tolkien (1988; 1964) believes that fantasy is ‘secondary belief’ Attebery (1980)
also believes that fantasy as a “story treat an impossibility as if it were
true” allows the readers and writers to maintain the illusion although it needs
some consistency.
Attebery, B. (1980). The
Fantasy Tradition in American Literature: From Irving to Le Guin.
Bloomington: Indiana University Press
Tolkien, J.R.R. (1988; 1964). On Faerie Stories. In Tree and Leaf. London: Unwin Hyman.
This is too short again (221-words) which is a pity because you have engaged well with the secondary reading. If you had added your own thoughts on what defines fantasy, or expressed your opinion about one or more of the other definitions, that would have been good. You also have not referred to the primary text (Earthsea). In what ways do you think Wizard of Earthsea might be defined as a 'typical' fantasy.
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