week 4

Week 4

How does Tolkien (1964) define fantasy?

Tolkien said “The human mind is capable of forming mental images of things not actually present.” (pp. 44) This naturally faculty is imagination. Fantasy is a higher form of art with images of things that are not only ‘not actually present’, but which are indeed not to be found in our primary world at all (pp.45). He thought, like witches cannot in the Primary World if they ceased to be Fantasy. But into quasi-magical secondary world a further fantasy or magic is too demand. Tolkien considered “Magic should be reserved for the operations of the magician. Art is the human process that produces by the way Secondary Belief.” “Enchantment produces a Secondary World into which both designer and spectator can enter, to the satisfaction of their senses while they are inside; but in its purity it is artistic in desire and purpose.”(pp.49)

Compare and contrast this to the other definitions from last week’s reader?

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 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) They all think fantastic occurs in fantasy is a common thing. They don’t have to explain why it won’t occur in real world because it’s a created period.

How does the fantasy genre relate to modern media such as video games?

With the progress of the media and social development, the spread of fantasy novels are not merely through books. Burn considered cross-media cultures are not by any means a new phenomenon. In the context of children’s contemporary media cultures- the game they play, the films and TV programmes they watch, the comics they read. (Burn,2005)
In my opinion, fantasy novel is more suitable for create a video-game. For example, Tolkien’s story have maps, lists, puzzles and so on; The Lord of the Rings gave rise to one of the most popular of modern game-genres, the RPG (roleplaying game).(pp.1) However, fantasy can create what kind of games depends on its structure and type.

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.

Tolkien, J.R.R. (1988; 1964). On Faerie Stories. In Tree and Leaf. London: Unwin Hyman.

Burn, A. (2005). Potter-Literacy –from book to game and back again; literature, film, game and cross-media literacy. Papers: Explorations into Children’s Literature Vol 14, No 3.