Paper questions
Ok, so I changed my topic again and I need some help. I've been looking at the handout we were given on our first day, the one which defines fantasy. It talks about it as a "self-coherent narrative" and discusses the idea of the reader understanding the otherworld and therefore seeing the story as possible in that world. I am going to argue that the stories we have read most recently ("Singing My Sister Down," "The Witch of Truro", and "The Oakthing") fit this definition. They also fit the part that "invites the reader to co-inhabit the tale." To my understanding, this means the reader feels like they understand the setting, the characters feelings, and the reader cares about them. Moreover, these three fit into the second part of the definition (page 2 of the handout) about coming to a realizable ending. Basically, the story seems complete when it is finished. However, the third part of the definition which includes the idea of Tolkien's "eucatastrophe"... happy ending of sorts... seems to only really apply to "The Witch of Truro." Clute says, "tragic fantasy exists, but is uncommon." Do you think the others might be tragic fantasy?
Another part of my paper... According to the "self-coherent" part of the definition, which is the most basic part of Clute's definition, some of Kelly Link's stories might not fit into this definition of fantasy. The reader is kept at a distance and despite the extensive details in some areas, the reader still does not have a clear understanding of the "otherworld" and what is possible there. It is clear that this is part of her intentions... supplying massive details without giving the reader an understanding of her created world.... So by Clute's definition are some of her stories not fantasy?
Another part of my paper... According to the "self-coherent" part of the definition, which is the most basic part of Clute's definition, some of Kelly Link's stories might not fit into this definition of fantasy. The reader is kept at a distance and despite the extensive details in some areas, the reader still does not have a clear understanding of the "otherworld" and what is possible there. It is clear that this is part of her intentions... supplying massive details without giving the reader an understanding of her created world.... So by Clute's definition are some of her stories not fantasy?
posted by Anonymous at 1:13 PM
2 Comments:
once again, anything but work more on my paper!!
...I don't think that Singing my sister down would have to be tragic fantisy...as I see it the were decided to press on with life, having a new resovle and new found...?awe, fragility, respect? for life (and for that matter death).
Death doesn't make something a tragidy, o contrare mon amie....there was much death in LOTR but I'd (and apparently Clute'd) say that Tolkien ended that happily...I would say it would only be tragic if they all decided that they couldn't go on w/out sister/daughter/whatever and jumped in the pit themselve..or were in dispair for the rest of thier lives never getting past this moment in thier life.
As far as Link and self-coherency...I think that Link might be one of those type writers that is helpng to redefine the genre and/or bringing into a new age..you must admit (I think we all would), she writes some crazy $#!%! I'd say they hardly fall in any definition..but that's part of their goodness (I think...I did actually enjoy and/or respect as lit. all of her stories that we read)
I don't know if this helps you any or if it's just a procrastinator rambling...but those are my thoughts!
Good luck!..I don't remember what you were going to be before but this's a great topic
I don't think I'd call the ending of "The Oakthing" tragic, either. The grandmother, the granddaughter and the soldier have survived their traumas and started anew. The Oakthing's sacrifice (if sacrifice it is) may be no more tragic than Gollum's; like Gollum, the Oakthing stayed around as long as it was needed, then sacrificed itself for the greater good. Or maybe the Oakthing isn't killed at all, merely changed into a different form, as the fairy-folk are known to do.
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