The Use of Conventions in Fantasy Writing to Gain our Acceptance - Book Report/Review Example

Compare the fantastical science-fiction story "The Blind Assassin" with the fantastical tale of Harry Potters time at Hogwarts. Both seem to draw on a number of conventions in constructing their tale (for example, the use of an "innocent" subordinate to carryout evil plans, such as the assassin himself and Professor Quirrell). Identify those conventions in each book, and discuss how they are necessary to our acceptance of the fantasies. The Use of Conventions in Fantasy Writing to Gain our Acceptance Fantastical fiction, often a combination of heroic quest, fairy-tale settings and adventure, has in recent times become an increasingly popular part of our culture. Books such as the Harry Potter series and J.R.R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings have all reached the heights of best-seller and have become a mainstay on the bookshelves. Perhaps the most essential factor behind this apparent popularity is the ability that the fantastical has of transporting the reader from their everyday world into an extraordinary world full of spiritual and moral meaning. More often than not, the backdrop is extraordinary and replete with fantastical creatures such as wizards, goblins and a myriad of others. Likewise, the protagonists are generally equally extraordinary: Often displaying dizzying heights of moral character, amazing talent and unbelievable strength. It is also generally the case that either the world is in need of salvation from an evil doer or quite simply the balance between light and darkness/ life and death has to be readdressed. To add to the fantastical evocation the author will often create a suitably fantastical language full of mythological allusion. Certainly, in most every case, the reader will find numerous examples of conventional and oft repeated themes and imagery that are often vital factors in setting the appropriate scene. There exist several comparable factors in both the Harry Potter series and the fantastical science-fiction story The Blind Assassin and it will be these books that I shall refer to throughout this essay in an attempt to ascertain why these conventions are so often employed and why they are such important factors in gaining the acceptance of the reader. For a few years now the Harry Potter series has been read and much loved by people of all ages. The series tells the story of a young pupil who, during his time at the English boarding school called Hogwarts, enjoys all the adventures that go hand in hand with being something of a budding wizard. Beginning with conventional Cinderella imagery, the series relates how Harry’s talent for magic gradually develops as his arch enemy Voldemort grows evermore powerful. Each particular book of the series tends to build up to the final confrontation between Harry and Voldemort. As well as the usual powerful evil doer, the books also feature the much loved wise old man character whom here comes in the form of Dumbledore. As is often the case in this type of fiction the wise old man character happily appears just when our protagonist has reached the point of desperation. Naturally, our wise old man gives him plenty of positive advice at the same time as offering questions that encourage the young hero to indulge in a little self-reflection. The ensuing encounters between Harry and both the evil doer and the wise old man offer him plenty of scope for gaining valuable moral lessons whilst he continues his journey towards individuation. These themes can all be related to a Jungian type psychology that the psychologist himself discusses in his work The Phenomenology of Spirit in Fairytales. In fact, the name Voldemort can be roughly translated as either a flight from or a wish for death. This would indicate that this character ties in with Jungs theory of how fairytales can so effectively deal with the theme of overcoming the shadow, which, as the psychologist notes, is such an important stage in self-knowledge. The shadow is defined as the "personification of certain aspects of the unconscious personality…which…is the dark, unlived, and repressed side of the ego complex” (Jung 220). At first it represents everything that the individual is consciously unaware of and becoming conscious of it is an essential factor towards individuation. In fact, fantasy stories contain so many similar themes throughout many cultures that effectively incorporate some hidden side of human nature. It would appear that the particular structure and symbolic themes of fairy tales are perfect for engaging the imagination of children (and perhaps adults), which in some way help them to overcome their normal conflicts and develop towards satisfactory integration into society. Therefore, many people believe that fantasy literature and fairy tales should be a vital part of a childs education and, if they do indeed involve themes such as the above, they will more than likely gain our acceptance. Another conventional theme included in these books is how the evil nature of the evil doer Voldemort is enhanced through his identification with a snake. The snake, of course, has symbolic connotations that originate in the ancient symbol of the snake as a representation of immortality. Perhaps even more important, however, is the connection that the snake has with deceit that is, of course, portrayed within the Bible. In addition, Harrys talent for communicating with the animals is similarly ubiquitous within this genre. In this case, it appears to indicate how Harry is capable of understanding his natural side and how he manages to effectively balance his emotions with his intellect. Once again, we have common themes that can all be employed to engage the imagination and help the reader towards individuation. The fantastical science-fiction work of Margaret Atwood entitled The Blind Assassin is perhaps a little more difficult to assess. This book appears to reconstruct fairy tale themes that ultimately complicate any straight and conventional interpretation. It is actually a book that involves numerous plots, sub plots, and tends to alternate between fantasy and contemporary reality. One such sub plot involves the telling of a science fiction story that involves the blind assassin of the title and a sacrificial maiden who occupy an alternative dimension of the universe. The rulers of this universe gain riches by trading children as slaves, most of whom become blind due to the nature of their work. These blind children then have two choices: Either they can work in a brothel or they become hired assassins. The young protagonist of the story naturally chooses the later and is told to kill the young sacrificial maiden. However, he falls in love with her and eventually helps her to escape so they can begin life together. Here we have the conventional themes of not only the innocent subordinate who is used to carry out evil plans but also the familiar sleeping beauty type passive female whose silence echoes that of the Little Mermaid. They also represent the archetypes of the warrior and the martyr. Archetypes are so often used in fairy tales and fantasy writing because these archetypal images are so effective in influencing the corresponding psyche of the reader. Each archetypal image will effectively correspond to certain emotions and complexes, which in helping them to become conscious in the reader will help them to understand and overcome them better. Further conventional themes include the actual settings. In the Harry Potter series, the familiar use of the enchanted forest provides further reference to the almost impenetrable unconscious of the human mind. Likewise, in The Blind Assassin the fictional city of Sakiel-Norn corresponds perfectly to the class-dominated society that we are all familiar with. This use of such a setting is so effective because they act as metaphors for something that is common to all cultures and all peoples. In conclusion, the use of conventional devises within fairy tales and fictional writing are employed to effectively gain the readers acceptance for a number of reasons. Firstly, their relative simplicity and familiarity permits a much clearer understanding of some of the more fundamental aspects of human nature. In addition, due to the fact they tend to reduce everything down to the most basic elements, they effectively reflect the most basic structure of the world so much better than other types of fiction. Perhaps this is why they tend to appeal to just about everybody – children and adults alike. Works Cited Atwood, Margaret. The Blind Assassin. First Anchor Books Edition, 2001. Print Jung, Carl Gustav. “The Phenomenology of the Spirit in Fairytales” The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious. Bolligen Series XX. Transl. R.F.C. Hull (Second Edition). NY: Princeton UP, 1978. Print  Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. US: Arthur A. Levine Books, 1997 Read More