ENG239H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Worldbuilding, Defamiliarization
Document Summary
To many thinkers, fantasy has seemed a silly self-indulgence, even a perversion - hume. Childish -> turning away from being a proper, productive adult. Nothing useful in reading fantasy/ ction in general -> it"s just a distraction (ties in escapism -> coping, perspective-taking) Tropes are dangerous/threatening to what some may consider to be a practical, normal reality. Troubling b/c it"s not a representation of the real world, doesn"t deal w/ real world problems. [ ] the notion of fantasy comes ready-tainted w/ implications of unworthiness, of a failure of some alleged duty of the human mind to concentrate on the realities of existence - stableford. Success of lotr lead to reprinting of older fantasy works -> this whole process lead to attitude that fantasy is inferior to mimetic/realistic ction. Gaiman: reviewers/editors don"t speak fantasy -> they are uncomfortable w/ it, lack of willingness to engage w/ fantastic language. Perhaps a matter of familiarity (due to world-building?)
