Sam Gamgee, in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Two Towers, tries to make sense out of all the violence and destruction that surrounds him...
In a sense, that's what all fantasy helps us do--make sense of the world and events around us.
Alexander Lloyd, author of The Chronicles of Prydain, claimed that “Fantasy is hardly an escape from reality. It's a way of understanding it.” I couldn't agree more. Having researched fantasy literature for the past week for a graduate school project, I have been immersed in the imaginary worlds conjured by some of my favorite authors of fantasy (as well as some intriguing new ones), and, as a result, I've been transported back to my childhood and young adulthood when I was joyfully reading any fantasy novel I could find. At that time, I thought I was just in it for an entertaining and escapist read, but looking back on it now, I realize that I identified with the heroes in those fantasy novels who felt different from everyone else, as if they were on the outskirts of their world. Reading about them and how they eventually used the very qualities that made them different in order to triumph against seemingly insurmountable odds gave my young self hope that I could eventually triumph against my own dragons.
This connection and inspiration that fantasy literature offers are only two benefits to reading works in this genre; there are so many others. Today's readers have unlimited titles from which to choose--check out the Best Fantasy Books website for oodles of fantasy titles. I will be!
Vicki, I love the clip you posted! I use the same one when I have my students practice analyzing the use of rhetorical appeals in persuasive speeches. It works so well for that purpose and engages them, even if they aren't LOTR fans. I appreciated the connections you made between fantasy and your own life. I think that oftentimes, though fantasy puts us in a very different world, it can send such clear messages that are truly relevant in our own world. Perhaps because of the characteristics of fantasy, these messages stick out even more so than they do in the realistic fiction or nonfiction that we read. Thanks for the link to the website, it looks like a great resource!!
OMG! What a great idea to use the clip to demonstrate rhetorical appeals when using persuasion! Thank you so much for sharing that idea; I wouldn't have thought of it without your kind comments and now I'm excited to use it with my own students. Is it okay if I steal?
Vicki, I love the clip you posted! I use the same one when I have my students practice analyzing the use of rhetorical appeals in persuasive speeches. It works so well for that purpose and engages them, even if they aren't LOTR fans. I appreciated the connections you made between fantasy and your own life. I think that oftentimes, though fantasy puts us in a very different world, it can send such clear messages that are truly relevant in our own world. Perhaps because of the characteristics of fantasy, these messages stick out even more so than they do in the realistic fiction or nonfiction that we read. Thanks for the link to the website, it looks like a great resource!!
ReplyDeleteOMG! What a great idea to use the clip to demonstrate rhetorical appeals when using persuasion! Thank you so much for sharing that idea; I wouldn't have thought of it without your kind comments and now I'm excited to use it with my own students. Is it okay if I steal?
ReplyDeleteSo glad to know another fantasy fan:)