Week 3

Week 3

How has fantasy as a genre been defined? Find at least five formative definitions in Attebery
(1980).

In my opinion, fantasy is a special kind of genre. The character in the story usually not real exists. The author always creates some magic power for the character.
In Attebery’s (1980) article, W. R. Irwin has found the primary feature of fantasy, “an overt violation of what is generally accepted as possibility.” J.R.R.Tolkien, he is a famous fantasy writer. He said, “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 slavery to it.” (pp. 3)
Attebery described fantasy is any narrative includes some parts that is author make-up, the author clearly believes to be natural law. (Attebery, 1980) In fantasy novel, the impossible things will come true under some particular circumstances.
In fantasy novel, there are a lot of impossible characters, objects like rings or hats, or events. We can distinguish fantasy and related genres from these features.
Attebery said, “fantasy invokes wonder by making the impossible seem familiar and the familiar seem new and strange.” (pp.4)
Eric Rabkin explores an equally limited subgroup, his fantasy is what is more generally termed nonsense or absurdity; it involves periodic overturning of the ground rules of the fiction.(pp.4)

Reference

Attebery, B. (1980). Locating fantasy. In The Fantasy Tradition in American Literature: From Irving to Le Guinn (pp.2-9). Bloomington: Indiana U P, 1980.

What are some archetypes (e.g. common character types) of fantasy fiction?

Fantasy fiction always has some special characters types, like dragon, actually, we haven’t see a real dragon before; Wizards and dwarfs are always appear in fantasy fictions. For example, Tolkien’s Hobbit.
Except characters, another archetype of fantasy fiction is magic power. This magic power could belong to a person or an object. Something in fantasy fiction should be impossible and unbelievable. That is the biggest different with common fiction.