Possibility of Fantasy to Create a Subversive Space to Critique or Challenge the Mainstream Culture - Essay Example

Does fantasy represent a subversive space within the mainstream where ideas, images and ideologies can be challenged? Discuss the possibility of fantasy to create a subversive space to critique or challenge the mainstream culture by using two novels "The Man in The High Castle" by Philip K.Dick and "The Last Unicorn" by Peter.S.Beagle. Fantasy novels are of great importance in literature. People presume that fantasy novels are always meant for children as they consist of many unrealistic and immature thoughts and views. However, many adults still read fantasy novels and watch fantasy movies. These fantasy novels and movies provide a sense of relief to both the adults and children from the atrocities and culture of this real world. I believe that fantasy offers an escape from the horrors of today’s culture. A person who has some moral values and who still believes in the decency of the humanity may prefer reading fantasy novels over others. The art of writing nowadays is full of horrible realities presented in an indecent and offensive way which express the emotions and actions of different people. In such an era, fantasy plays a vital role in aiding the suffering humanity by giving them an imaginative series full of pleasure and interesting characters. People think that such characters and unrealistic incidents create a negative thought of the world. However, my personal opinion differs from such assumptions. Fantasy does not only talk about unrealistic incidents but it provides a positive side of the most negative attributes of a subject. Fantasy provides a subversive space within the mainstream where ideas, images and ideologies can be challenged. Nowadays, science has discovered the reality of the storms and thunders as a result of indifferent casual processes, whereas, fantasy gives the reason for these thunders as a result of Gods anger and aggression. The materialistic world, today, talks about the advantages and disadvantages of a particular things or matter, whereas, fantasy talks about the morality and immorality of it. Science talks about the reasons and proofs, on the other hand, fantasy talks about goodness, truth, feelings and emotions. Fantasy teaches to love and sacrifice, whereas, world today believes in money, power and fame. Fantasy provides a new way to imagine and deal with a particular situation. For example, in the novel The last unicorn, the unicorn after knowing the reality that there is no unicorn left of her type in the world, does not hide herself to be safe but instead starts her journey around the world to find out the secret of other unicorns and to protect them if they exist. This aspect of the novel leads to an understanding of natural love with the similar creatures. However, people who believe that this approach is unrealistic and has no moral value are incorrect. The fantasy novel here gives a hidden message of love and sacrifice. The example of Unicorn and the troubles she faced during her journey provides a totally different picture of the events as compared to our life today. Only a few people today think about others and their troubles. People are selfish enough to let others die with their troubles and problems. However in this novel the Unicorn is shown sacrificial enough to risk its life in order to save the life of others. The hope of unicorn leads her to discover the secret of rest of the unicorns and challenges the modern view of pleasure which is based on wealth and status. The last unicorn also puts forward a theme to change. It gives an idea to alter the reality for the sake of others. Schmendrick, in the second part of the book, transforms the unicorn into a woman. Unicorn accepts this change and learns many things which she had never experienced being a unicorn. She learns to love and face difficulties. This area of novel brings the attention of the readers to be determined and makes them an offer to change themselves for the sake of others. People are living and striving for their own comforts and to get the luxuries of life for themselves. The life of unicorn, as portrayed in the last unicorn, challenges our culture and creates an imagination of life which is destined to save others and to achieve some aim. It forces a reader to understand the sacrificial nature of the Unicorn’s life. This further helps the reader to act in the same way and be sacrificial in nature. Fantasy novels like the last unicorn explains the difference and understanding of being and non-being. Schmendrick over and over again does not do well in magic yet he continues to act like a wizard and uses tricks as a replacement for the magic. He continuously does such mistakes and acts which portray him as a dishonorable person. The portrayal of Schemendrick in the novel and his continuous failure in becoming what he desires to be, challenges the idea of people that they can be what they want to be. People try to be like their ideals regardless of the qualities and capabilities they lack. The character of Red Bull takes the advantage of people who lose their faith in themselves. His character hence tries to convey the idea that faith and belief in yourself and your abilities prevent you from people having negative intentions like Red Bull had. A basic attraction for the fantasy novels is the feature that such novels carry the aspects of reality and portray them using some unrealistic features like, witches, fairies, monsters, dragons etc. The use of these unrealistic features makes them attractive and entertaining. These unrealistic aspects like a child fighting for the sake of his homeland or an animal trying to save his kin etc. also develop a sense of responsibility, a sense of brotherhood and a sense of love and admiration among the children and the adults. The way in which the incidents of the unicorn are portrayed, forces you to rethink about your ideology of life. The unicorn moved to different places killing her peace of life in the woods and accepting the challenges of the journey for the sake of the misery of his kin. People assumed that the unicorn is a horse as they didnt believe in the existence of unicorn. Majority of the novel characters observed what they expected to see, and their expectations vary according to the societys requirements and exposition about a matter. The last unicorn challenges the frequent concept of the society that the experienced and old are able to see the reality more clearly. In the last unicorn, experienced and older age groups are represented as cold and selfish creatures. An example of the wise and experienced person as portrayed in the novel is King Haggard. King Haggard took all unicorns into custody and acted as a selfish person. This negative portrayal of Kings character clearly challenges the self pleasing and selfish society which teaches to act as rival or enemy for others just for the sake of ones own leisure. Fantasy is called as subversive because it always carry some message or leave some positive impact on the reader either in the form of novel or movie. Young and adults both are responsible to create a change in the aspects of their culture and traditions which are harming the society. By reading fantasy novels people get in to the culture and society of other creatures and hence observe the changes those characters create for the sake of a better living for all. Fantasy novels also contain moral messages like saving the kinfolk from the evils, helping the suffering creatures using wits and magic, saving the homeland or making things right and accurate to make the world bliss. The novel "the man in the high castle" tells a story which denies the reality not to give any false impression but to show the alternatives to those who are ruling over. The novel declares that Japanese are the most respectable and reputable citizens in America as they won the World War II. The novel portrays the alternative of the reality in which Americans are living as second class citizens in their own country. This novel basically denies the superiority given to the national citizens over foreigners. This novel challenges the social differences occur due to the superior nature of people. The novel explains both sides of the story in a beautiful way. The story tells that history balances the events which tend to destruct the world. The fiction story The Man in the High Castle clearly illustrates that reality can be either way. It tells that the World War II could be won by the Axis forces also. The story gives an imaginary view of America if the Axis forces won the war. It also gives an insight of the characters in the novel that are shown both the realities. The characters in the story are shown the alternative reality in another book which is known as the "the grasshopper lies heavy”. In this book the characters are told about the lives of the American people if they had won the World War II. Similarly in the conclusion once again alternative reality is established within the book when in the conclusion the characters are shown a parallel reality. They are shown an image with the help of I Ching in which they are living in an America which is ruled by the Americans themselves. This again shows that power does not lie in ones hands and everything which is happening is not necessarily real. The novel illustrates about differing cultures existing in the world. It tells about the dominant Japanese people over the Americans in a different way. It further describes the characters action in accordance to the culture they are given i.e. the characters behaving according to the dominant culture. The story rejects the idea of cross cultural problems in different countries. It tells how one should act in order to live in a multi cultural world. The culture of dominance in the present world is challenged in The Man in the High Castle. It makes the people realize that differing alternatives can have different impacts on their lives. For e.g. the story shows the alternative situation of the Americans if the World War II was won by axis forces. The characters in the story are obsessed by the novel ‘The Grasshopper lies heavy’. The only American values left in the society are shown through this novel. And the independence which is long pursued by the Americans is also shown in this very novel. The idea of living in someone else’s culture gives the American readers a path to wander about. The story challenges the present culture followed in the whole world i.e. the superior people are looked upon to. However it shows the superior people that they could also be counted in the listed of the inferior ones. It is the basic attraction of fantasy stories that it talks about some assumptions and takes the reader deep in those situations. The assumptions pave a new way for the reader to think about alternatives or the situation which may never occur. What is the purpose of such assumptions then? These assumptions create a new way of thinking as provided in the novel "The man in the High castle". The alternative of the reality as explained in the novel gives an idea to consider things from a perspective which has not happened yet. It compels you to rethink about the things which you take for granted. Excellent fantasy sharply implements the imagination. Imagination is necessary to a life well lived, and to a society looking for solutions to the troubles that all the time surround it. Fantasy and fiction talk about what-if situations. Fantasy talks about the world which many people want to live in. It creates such world and situations and ultimately explains the horrors of such situations or the ease and comforts of current circumstances. Bibliography: Dick, Philip K. The Man in the High Castle. New York: Vintage Books, 1992. Beagle, Peter S. The Last Unicorn. New York: Viking Press, 1968. Read More