For this essay, you'll practice applying points from an academic article to develop your literary analysis. The basic question for you to answer is: what is an important purpose or function of fantasy for readers? You will customize this question by choosing what important purpose you want to discuss and which book you'll use (A Wrinkle in Time, Harry Potter, Alice, or "The Improper Princess"). You'll explain your choice by discussing evidence from the book (your primary source) and 2-4 relevant points from this article: Sharon Black, "The Magic of Harry Potter: Symbols and Heroes of Fantasy." (Links to an external site.) Read the article, then work on outlining your essay. When you click on the article link, it should take you to a library login page. If you have trouble getting to the article pdf, please contact me or the library (Links to an external site.) for help. Write 3-4 double-spaced pages (approximately 800-1100 words), including an introduction, several body paragraphs (each with 1-2 short direct quotations), a conclusion, and a Works Cited list with MLA entries for the article and the book(s) you're using. Rubric Short Essay Short Essay Criteria This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeThesis This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeAnalysis & Development This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeUse of Sources This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeOrganization & Clarity Total Points: 10.0 Ratings Pts 2.0 pts Full Marks 0.0 pts No Marks 2.0 pts 4.0 pts Full Marks 0.0 pts No Marks 4.0 pts 3.0 pts Full Marks 0.0 pts No Marks 3.0 pts 1.0 pts Full Marks 0.0 pts No Marks 1.0 pts A Wrinkle in Time Like Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, A Wrinkle in Time (published nearly a century later, in 1962) is about a girl exploring different worlds and encountering strange new beings. Unlike Alice, Meg Murry feels lost in her own world and has a very specific quest that drives her and her companions on. And the author Madeleine L'Engle (Links to an external site.) also seems to have a sense of deeper purpose and meaning in her writing. Here is her granddaughter's explanation of what she sees as important in her grandmother's writing: http://www.signature-reads.com/2017/02/the-quiet-call-to-action-in-madeleinelengle-a-wrinkle-in-time/ (Links to an external site.) As you read A Wrinkle in Time, notice how Meg, an awkward teenager, thinks about herself and people she meets. She's intensely self-critical, but by the end of the novel she can recognize some of her own capabilities and intrinsic worth. How does she come to this realization? This developmental process is a key part of the coming-of-age narrative. This is a young adult (YA) novel although children sometimes read it before age 10 and many adults still enjoy it. Consider, too, whether you think it's science fiction or fantasy (there are arguments for both classifications). Science fiction is a genre of stories that are usually set in the future (but can be in the present) and imagine the consequences of future scientific discoveries and inventions (both possible and impossible). Fantasy stories are usually set in the past (but can be in the present, like the subgenre of urban fantasy) and involve magic and/or creatures from folklore traditions (like elves). After you read the novel, come back to this page to read more about L'Engle and the background of the book. I think it's significant, for example, that it was written in the depths of the Cold War, in a period with intersecting cultural arguments about conformity and different lifestyles. The new film version that came out last year changed this setting (among other things) to update the setting to our time, so it emphasizes other parts of the theme. (Here's thetrailer (Links to an external site.) .) I enjoyed the film, even though (or because) there are several significant differences. So feel free to watch the film in addition to reading the book! (this is optional, not required) http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/29/books/review/a-wrinkle-in-time-and-its-sci-fiheroine.html?pagewanted=all (Links to an external site.) https://www.kirkusreviews.com/features/madeleine-lengles-i-wrinkle-timei/ (Links to an external site.) http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/2012/02/10/november-17-2000-madeleinelengle/3639/ (Links to an external site.) Discussion Choose one of the discussion questions below and write a 300-400 word post in response. You should write about all parts of the question, but you don't have to do it in the same order as they appear in the question. Try to make your response flow smoothly. Your post should contain quotations and direct references to the readings. (If you've seen the film, you can include comparison points, but please tell us what's from the book and what's from the film.) Then, respond to one of your classmates' posts. Your response should be at least 4 sentences long and should add interesting thoughts or ideas to the conversation. These responses are due by 11:59 pm on Oct. 2. 1. Think of A Wrinkle in Time as a coming-of-age narrative. What does Meg struggle with, and how does she grow? Who are the adults who act in some way as mentors? How do some adults reveal their limitations, and how does Meg cope? How does she become stronger or more independent? Think of the role that fantasy and science fiction elements play in the narrative, as well. How do they facilitate the development of the coming-of-age narrative (it might help to think about how the story would be different if these elements weren't present)? 2. Throughout the novel, L’Engle introduces a variety of creatures that do not communicate with words. What are the various ways in which the creatures communicate? What message do you believe the author is trying to convey by adding this element to her story? What is the significance of the lack of sight among the beast-like inhabitants of Ixchel? What does Meg learn from interacting with creatures that have no eyes? Beyond considering the beasts that cannot see yet are not limited in any way, how does L’Engle make the case that “seeing” can be a very limiting thing for humans? 3. What challenges does the Murry family face by living in a community that doesn’t understand them or particularly trust them? How do the family members cope in different ways? Consider Mrs. Whatsit’s thoughts about Charles Wallace and how his family treats his gifts. “But at least you aren’t trying to squash him down . . . You’re letting him be himself.” What is it about him that she values? What does she imply about how other children are raised? For Calvin, what does being welcomed into the Wallace home really mean? How does this part of the story connect to the theme of the tension between conformity and individuality & creativity? My answer Murry family faces challenges at multiple levels. With no dad to provide for security and warmth, the family lives in a disoriented and unstable state. Their father, having been abducted and placed in a prison by a dark evil, Meg Murry and her family have no choice other than indulging in a quest to rescue their father. There is also misunderstanding for, the community as the community looked down upon them. They cannot trust any member of society, and all have to stay together as a family. The abduction of their father is taunting emotionally, especially for Meg, who constantly keeps thinking about him. Although Meg uses fight as her defence mechanism, her family has a belief that things will improve and do not indulge in defending themselves. “But I’m sorry I tried to fight him. It’s just been an awful week. And I’m full of bad feeling.” (L’Engle, 2010, p13). Meglet wants seclusion as he believes most people are compromised and can cause harm to her. Meg develops into a confident warrior one that is willing to fight for the freedom of her father. The giftedness of Wallace is quintessential and scary to other children. Mrs Charles is stunned by this and greatly values his wisdom and courage for his young age. Wallace say’s “Okay. I believe you. But I can’t tell you. I think I’d like to trust you.Maybe you’d better come home with us and have dinner.”(L’Engle, 2010, p23). Additionally, Mrs whatsits feel that Wallace is outspoken and witty and should not be taken lightly. As for Whatsits feeling on how children should be raised, she feels that children should be allowed to explore themselves and what pleases them. They should not be forced to conform to certain formalities. For Calvin welcoming to Wallace home, this is a perception of trust, acceptance and accommodation to society. This part of the story depicts a connection between conformity and individuality. They all combine their resource and capability to achieve a common goal. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Broadly speaking, children's literature has two major modes: fantasy and realism. (Some authors mix these modes very successfully, but that's another story.) Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Links to an external site.) by Lewis Carroll, published in 1865, was the first fantasy novel for children. You can see how the anthropomorphic characters, including talking animals, sudden transformations, and suggestions of magic borrowed from traditional folk tale motifs. In fact, George MacDonald (a friend and mentor to Carroll) was writing wonderful new fairy tales for children at the same time - one of his best known works is The Princess and the Goblin (Links to an external site.) (1872). What makes Carroll's fantasy different is that it doesn't follow the traditional form of a folk tale and the organizing principle of Wonderland is, simply, nonsense. In Wonderland, Alice wanders from one unexpected experience to another. There's no clear direction to her exploration. She wonders if she'll ever get home, but she's not on a quest to find her way home (unlike Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz). Early on, she wants to find a way to get into the garden she can see through the "little door" (halfway through the first chapter), but with all her changes in size she loses track of that goal until she finds herself in the garden almost by accident (at the end of Chapter 7). Alice is a well-educated child who has studied her lessons and learned didactic poems and stories, but they come out scrambled in Wonderland. Every poem Alice recites is a parody of a didactic poem. For example, "How doth the little crocodile" (Ch. 2) parodies Isaac Watt's 1715 poem "How doth the little busy bee / Improve each shining hour, / And gather honey all the day / From every opening flower!" This novel, in contrast, is emphatically not a didactic story. Carroll seems to resist any opportunity for a moral lesson for child readers, insisting instead on confusion and playfulness. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is also amazingly dense in word play and puns (Ch. 9, "The Mock Turtle's Story" is especially remarkable - or egregious, depending on your point of view). Carroll also plays with ideas about mathematics and science. "Lewis Carroll" was the pen name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, who taught math and logic at Christ Church College, Oxford University. He was close to the Liddell family (Henry George Liddell was the college dean), and the story that became Alice came from the stories he told the three sisters Lorina, Alice, and Edith (see the poem at the start of the novel). Dodgson was charmed by the innocence and sweetness of young girls in Victorian England, and the character Alice's many changes in size may reflect the transience of childhood. However, even though Alice depends on nonsense and refuses to send a clear message, don't make the mistake of thinking that it's meaningless. In fact, much of its fascination for readers - demonstrated through the hundreds of adaptations and re-imaginings - comes from the complex layering of multiple meanings. The novel has the form of a dream vision, where the protagonist falls asleep and enters a fantastical world. You can explore Wonderland along with Alice - but keep your eyes open for the meaning behind riddles and nonsense. Book http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/28885 Discussion Please write about 200 words reflecting on "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland." What do you think is interesting or surprising or puzzling? If you've read it before, what feels the same or different this time? If you've seen a film version, what's different? Then, respond to one of your classmates' posts. Your response should be at least 4 sentences long and should add interesting thoughts or ideas to the conversation. My answer From a logical perspective, Alice adventures in wonderland is a nonsensical piece. The Alice frames encourage readers to interpret the adventures as fairy tales, a category regarded by the 19th-century usage, which constitutes traditional and literary tales, nonsense, or preferably fantasy fiction. The wonderland frames arrogate that the Alice dream's tale fosters a happy and loving childhood that will aid in her development and transformation to a good woman and mother, although the tales seem to create a domestic space that is very powerful to keep the wild world at bay. After ready it for the second time, I feel that Alice is a symbol of change. She depicts a new order that she is habituated to playing, the obedient child who believes that she can do well without receiving elders' support or guidance. I also think that Alice is a character that serves both the child and adult position well. She manages to restore order by combining traits of a roguish child and the frantic, domineering woman. This was Carroll's way of making us realize that we are silly regardless of the fact that we are adults by depicting the internal battles of the child's life and the other side of adulthood. Folk & fairy tales First, a note about terms. Folk tales are traditional tales that (like fables) were circulated orally for centuries before they were written down. A subset of folk tales are tales involving magic, more commonly called fairy tales. This term, "fairy tales," can also mean literary tales following the form of traditional tales that have been written by a single author more recently. I'll ask you to think about these distinctions with a reading later in the lesson. Folk tales originate from an oral tradition that dates back hundreds of years. As the name suggests, folk tales are stories that were told by ordinary people to entertain each other and pass the time. They were originally shared by adults and adolescents, both for amusement and to introduce adolescents to a metaphorical way of thinking about problems in the adult world. These stories may have exaggerated or unexpected elements. So, for example, a young woman's nervousness about who her family might arrange for her to marry is symbolically represented by her marriage to a bear (in "East of the Sun, West of the Moon"). Cultures all over the world have their own folk and fairy tale traditions, though they often have some basic things (like talking animals) in common. Because folk tales and early fairy tales were written for adults and adolescents, and later fairy tales are usually written either for children, for adults reading to children, or adolescents, Barbara Wall's categorization of address is useful to consider. She defines three modes of address: single, double, and dual. (See Children's Literature pp. 25-26 for details.) What kind of address does "East of the Sun, West of the Moon" use, and is it different from the address used in "Beauty and the Beast"? What kinds of address do you see in the different versions of "Little Red Riding Hood"? We know many European folk tales through the literary adaptations in 17th-century France by Madame d'Aulnoy and Charles Perrault (his 1697 book Histoires du temps passe ou Contes de ma mère l'Oye (Stories of past times or Tales of My Mother Goose) contains well-known characters like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Puss in Boots, and Little Red Riding Hood) and in the 18th century by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont (who was French but lived in England). In the 19th century, scholars became more interested in collecting traditional tales from people still telling stories aloud, although there was still some editing and adaptation into writing. In Germany, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm (Links to an external site.) wanted to study traditional language, proverbs, and tales, and they first published Kinder- und Hausmärchen (Children's and Household Tales) and kept republishing (and re-editing some of the stories) through 6 more editions. (Please read the "Collaborations" section in the Wikipedia link above to learn more about the cultural context of their work.) In Great Britain, some of the active tale collectors were George Webbe Dasent, Andrew Lang, and Joseph Jacobs. In the 20th century, folklorists became very interested in trying to classify and analyze tales from around the world. The Finnish folklorist Antti Aarne was the first scholar to try to compare and classify folk tales from around the world. He published his first classification system for folk tales in 1910, and it has since been updated by Stith Thompson and Hans-Jörg Uther. If you're curious about this classification system, you can learn more at Folklore and Mythology Electronic Texts (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (these links are optional reading). Starting in the 1970s, some authors became very interested in what else could be done with fairy tales. Three major trends have developed: 1) Feminist fairy tales - these are either collections of traditional folk tales with strong female heroes or new literary tales re-imagining the conventions of fairy tales from feminist perspectives. (The tv show Once Upon a Time has drawn from this trend.) 2) Parodic fairy tales - Shrek (need I say more?) 3) Adapting fairy tales for modern contexts or into different genres. I want you to understand the basic components of a tale: motifs, character types, functions, and tale type. That's how we (folklorists) track tales across versions and in different forms. A motif is any significant element repeated across tales. It can be an object (like an enchanted ring), a specific kind of character (like a wicked stepmother), or a specific event (like falling into an enchanted sleep). Character types are the major kinds of characters in fairy tales: Hero (protagonist), Helper (someone who offers advice or intangible assistance), Donor (someone who gives the hero a tangible gift), the Villain, and the Princess (who can be any object of a quest or anyone who needs assistance, not necessarily a princess. These character types are used in other genres, too. So, for Star Wars, the Hero is Luke Skywalker, the Helpers are the droids, Han Solo, and Chewbacca, the Donor is Obi-Wan Kenobi (he gives Luke the lightsaber as well as advice), the Villain is Darth Vader, and the Princess is Princess Leia. Vladimir Propp, a Russian folklorist, developed a universal outline for traditional fairy tales. The elements of the outline are called functions. Not all functions are present in all tales, but they occur in certain sequences in order. (See the reading below for more details.) A tale type is the basic narrative that allows us to recognize different versions of "Cinderella" as all being basically the same story, and allows us to tell "Cinderella" (AT 510) apart from "Beauty and the Beast" (AT 425-C). Motifs are repeated across tale types in different combinations, but each tale type has a unique sequence of motifs. I've put together a few tales and some analysis for you to read and think about in the Fairy Tales module. After you've read them, please go to the discussion forum to share your thoughts. Discussion Now that you've read the background lesson on folk & fairy tales, two versions each of AT 425, "Little Red Riding Hood," and "Cinderella," an article about tales, and a modern feminist fairy tale "The Improper Princess," I want you to analyze that material and develop your own thoughts about it in a substantial discussion post. Please write a 300-400 word post responding to the questions below (roughly 1-2 paragraphs per question). Your post should contain quotations and direct references to the readings. Then, respond to one of your classmates' posts. Your response should be at least 4 sentences long and should add interesting thoughts or ideas to the conversation. These posts are due by 11:59pm on Sept. 4. Questions 1. Identify a motif (an object, character type, or specific event) for each tale. It doesn't have to be a different motif for each tale. Can you find any motifs that are repeated in different tales? Is it a motif shared by a pair of tale versions, or is there an interesting difference (for example, the recognition symbol in the two versions of "Cinderella" are a little different). Which motif is most interesting to you, and why? 2. Compare some of the traditional and literary characteristics in the tales. What effect does that difference in narrative style have? (Hint: the tales by Perrault, Leprince de Beaumont, and Wrede are more literary; the Grimms and Dasent stay closer to oral traditions.) 3. "The Improper Princess" by Patricia C. Wrede is an example of a feminist fairy tale written for children & teens. It also uses parody in some places. I'm sure you noticed that while Wrede uses many traditional motifs, she uses them in some different ways or for different purposes than traditional tales would. Discuss the similarities and differences that you think are most interesting or important between Wrede's tale and some of the others we've read. My answer In literature, fairy tales and other literature provide the audience with specific lessons and motifs. In the story "The beauty and the Beast" by Jeanne-Marie LePrince de Beaumont, the motif is to show that the beauty of a person is not based on their facial beauty, but on the inside character. The motif presented in the Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper by Charles Perrault is that of the need to have good morals and the reasons why one should avoid evil. Similarly, the story by Little Red Riding Hood by Charles Perrault shows the fight between good and evil, and how greed can ruin lives. The motif of good morals is repeated in the tales and the most interesting one is in “The beauty and the Beast” because it is a symbol of how beauty can be defined through character and not the looks. For example, it shows the importance of apologizing. When the Beauty screams "I am sorry! This was all my fault!" and the beast is transformed to a handsome prince, it teaches the audience how to treat others. The traditional and literary characteristics of the tales are useful because they affect the way the stories are understood by the audience. In the above tales, the stories use a literary format, whereby the setting is narrated in an easy way for the audience to relate to real-life situations. The characters, setting, and plot is clear in each and this makes it more valid and applicable in real life today. It affects the way the audience interprets the tales because one can see the reality in them. The lessons are clear and relevant to the daily life of the audience. The feminist fairy tale, "The Improper Princess" by Patricia C. Wrede, uses the traditional motifs in a different way that helps in guiding the views of the audience. The fairy tale is similar to the others above in that it focuses on morals and guiding the audience on how to do good things. It is also based on showing the disadvantages of evil and disobedience. The difference is that it uses the motifs differently, by portraying some positive outcomes from some “improper” deeds that are necessary. For example, the princess wanted to know how to cook, learn magic and Latin among other things. It was considered improper but it helped her to the dragons. Children’s Literature in Education, Vol. 34, No. 3, September 2003 (䉷 2003) Sharon Black is a teaching professor and writing consultant/editor at the David O. McKay School of Education at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, U.S.A. Her teaching experiences include gifted children, in addition to a wide variety of college students—both age groups included in this article. When not chained to her desk, she can often be found roaming through such places as Hogwarts or Middle Earth, often accompanied by her children—including “Sandra.” Sharon Black The Magic of Harry Potter: Symbols and Heroes of Fantasy This article suggests that the worldwide, multiage appeal of Harry Potter may lie in the way these stories of magic meet the needs of readers to find meaning in today’s unmagical contexts. The imaginative appeal and symbolic efficacy of the books for children are examined in terms of Bruno Bettelheim’s The Uses of Enchantment. The development of Harry Potter as a hero in the mythic/fantasy tradition, which allows young adults to grasp a sense of hope for meaning and triumph, are explored in terms of Joseph Campbell’s Hero With a Thousand Faces. Case studies are included to illustrate. KEY WORDS: Harry Potter; fantasy; symbolism; imagination; hero. J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (published in Great Britain as Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone “Kallie didn’t really want to read The Sorcerer’s Stone, and now she can’t put it down,” my friend, Kallie’s mother, reported with a chuckle. First, the Harry Potter books are about a boy, and Kallie doesn’t care much for boys—not at age 10. And the Harry Potter books are trendy; Kallie is one who is proud of having her own tastes and doing things her own way. But once Kallie’s imagination was captured, she read the first four Harry Potter books four times each during the next 18 months. After seeing the first of the Harry Potter movies, Kallie rushed home, grabbed The Sorcerer’s Stone, and immediately began reading it again. The movie had not come up to the pictures she had created in her mind. To her mother’s puzzled inquiry, she wailed, “I have to rescue my imagination.” “How like Sandra,” I thought. My daughter Sandra, a college student, had just returned from 18 months in England. Sandra had heard of the young wizard, but she had not had time to seek him out. Missing all things British, she noticed the copy of The Sorcerer’s Stone that her sister had left visible. A few pages, and Sandra, like Kallie, could not put the book down. She had seen the pre-Hogwarts Harry on the trains and tubes of London and on the High Streets of English villages—shabbily dressed, indifferently groomed, lonely, obviously ne237 0045-6713/03/0900-0237/0 䊚 2003 Human Sciences Press, Inc. 238 Children’s Literature in Education glected—possibly abused. As she read, she saw him transported to a mysterious castle/school where he began to learn of his true heritage and potential, to undertake what Sandra, as a literature student, recognized as a classic hero’s journey. Sandra quickly added Harry to the gallery of heroes who, since her early childhood, had reaffirmed her faith that despite its dark recesses, the world is good, and people can overcome their difficulties and find joy. Elizabeth Schafer, Exploring Harry Potter J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix These two very different but very enthusiastic readers join many worldwide who have found needs met and questions at least partially answered in the magical adventures of Harry Potter. The phenomenal success of the series is well known. They were the first children’s books to be included on the New York Times bestseller list since Charlotte’s Web was published during the 1950s. In 1999, the first three were numbers 1, 2, and 3 on the list, causing the newspaper to think of creating a separate children’s category. Bestseller lists in U.S.A. Today and even the Wall Street Journal included them as well. And children have not been the only readers keeping these books on top of the charts. Adults worldwide are reading them—some along with their children, some completely on their own. In Great Britain, Germany, and Italy, special editions have come out with adult-respectable covers, so that grown-ups can read them on public transportation without being embarrassed to be seen with a children’s novel (Schafer, 2000). When the publication date for the fifth book in the series, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, was announced in January 2003, 5 months in advance, within days the preorders placed it high on bestseller lists as well. Are the Harry Potter books merely a passing fad? Or is their potential to meet needs and to answer questions for individuals as diverse as Kallie and Sandra based on deeper, more universal literary patterns and human characteristics? When examined in terms of the classic works of psychoanalysts Bruno Bettelheim and Joseph Campbell, they are. Bruno Bettelheim, The Uses of Enchantment Joseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces This article delves into effects of fantasy in general and Harry Potter in specific as they may be better understood in terms of Bettelheim’s and Campbell’s ideas. The child Kallie’s ability to explore real life through imaginative interaction with unreal characters and situations can be better understood in terms of Bettelheim’s explanations of The Uses of Enchantment (1976). Young adult Sandra’s ability to find meaning through the unfolding of the hero’s journey is consistent with the analysis of Joseph Campbell’s Hero with a Thousand Faces (1968). Both of the girls are individuals, but their experiences with fantasy and meaning illustrate effects common among those who benefit from Harry’s magic. Kallie’s experiences are described according The Magic of Harry Potter 239 to her mother’s observation. Sandra is both open and articulate in sharing her reactions and thoughts directly, and her experiences are recounted as expressed in personal conversation. Kallie: Unreality and Truth J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Generally, Kallie has little use for repetition. But to reread the Harry Potter books is not necessarily repetitious. Every time she reads the books, Kallie can have another series of adventures. When she reads a popular children’s mystery, she visualizes realistic characters going through realistic activities—and she solves a one-time mystery. It is solved, and she does not need to solve it again. But when Harry encounters his greatest desire in the mirror of Erised or his greatest fear in the Boggart, the reader is invited to draw up her own desires and fears—and these are not neatly “solved” in one session.1 As the mirror and the Boggart immerse Harry in his longing for family, a child like Kallie may reflect on her own family as well. A child’s emotions and interpretations of such passages change from day to day—as family feelings and relationships change—and each time she deals with them they are invested with new meaning (Bettelheim, 1976, p. 12). Thus the ever-changing magic of Harry Potter is in the magic of the child’s own experiences, feelings, and imagination. One of the common complaints against the Harry Potter series is that the stories deal with magic: Various churches have denounced the books, and their author, J. K. Rowling,2 has been accused of being a witch. Rowling explains that no fan (to her knowledge) has ever expressed a desire to become a witch, and that she herself attends the Church of Scotland and has no desire to become a witch either. Rowling is confident that children can easily discern where reality ends and fantasy begins (Schafer, 2000). Her affirmation agrees with Bruno Bettelheim (1976), who notes that any child familiar with fantasy understands that these stories “speak to him in the language of symbols and not that of everyday reality” (p. 62). Bettelheim continues, The child intuitively comprehends that although these stories are unreal, they are not untrue; that while what these stories tell about does not happen in fact, it must happen as inner experience and personal development; that [fantasy] tales depict in imaginary and symbolic form the essential steps in growing up and achieving an independent existence. (p. 73) Harry looks into the Mirror of Erised and sees his dead parents standing beside him—decidedly unreal. Kallie does not expect to look into a mirror and see anyone who is deceased. She is glad to be able to see 240 Children’s Literature in Education in a common, unmagical mirror the mother and grandparents who love and protect her—as Harry longs to be loved and protected. Kallie has expressed the nagging awareness that the day will come when her beloved grandparents will no longer be beside her. The Mirror of Erised is unreal, but the fact that a child longs to be loved and protected by her family is true. The fear children have that something may harm the family is portrayed through the unreal dementors and boggarts who torment Harry with the images and sounds of his parents’ deaths. The dementors and boggarts are unreal, but the fact that children fear harm to their parents is true. The child may find it easier to face these fears when the abstract feelings are given form by Harry’s experience. Bettelheim (1976) explains the importance of “the unrealistic nature” of fantasy: It focuses the child “not [on] useful information about the external world, but [on] the inner processes taking place in the individual” (p. 25). Rowling is not instructing children to obtain a magic mirror from a local coven of witches; she is helping them reflect on hopes and fears, families and relationships. J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Susan Cooper, “Fantasy in the real world” Bettelheim (1976) carries the “reality” of the child’s involvement in fantasy a step further as he explains that the images suggested to the child through fantasy can be used to “structure his daydreams and . . . give better direction to his life” (p. 7). The unreal metaphors and symbols of the story become the raw materials to experiment with reality. Kallie is not as eager as some children her age to spend most of her time with her peers. “They don’t always choose the right,” she tells her family. “They play with some and not with others.” No one would use the word “mudblood” to taunt one of Kallie’s friends, as Draco taunts Hermione. But as she vicariously becomes angry at Draco she can release the anger she feels at injustice in her own schoolyard. Susan Cooper (1990), author of the successful fantasy series The Dark Is Rising, understands this process and notes that the events of fantasy, unlike those of real life, do not have price tags; but “if one of its adventures does ever happen to overtake you, somewhere in your unconscious mind you will be equipped to endure or enjoy it” (p. 309). Thus through the unreality of Harry’s magical world, children like Kallie learn to deal with the reality of family, friends, and school— and she can definitely distinguish the real/specific from the unreal/ true. Kallie’s mother has read the Harry Potter books (during Kallie’s first time through), but she wisely avoids imposing her personal meanings on her daughter. As Bettelheim (1976) advises, adult coaching denies The Magic of Harry Potter 241 the child the opportunity to cope personally with the problems portrayed in the story. As the child brings imagination, intellect, and emotions together in identifying with the characters, “inner resources” develop that enable the child to eventually cope with “the vagaries of life” (p. 4). The child thus gains “confidence in himself and in his future” (p. 4). After all, a kid who can figure out how Harry ought to overcome a basilisk knows she can cope with a playground bully. And after conquering Voldemort, medical school definitely seems doable. Sandra: The Rise of a Hero George Lucas, Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays E. B. White, Charlotte’s Web C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe Susan Cooper, The Dark Is Rising J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings Since she was old enough to swing a plastic lightsaber, Sandra has lived with fantasy and loved its heroes. At the age of three she saw Star Wars and announced that she was going to be Luke Skywalker. When her brother patiently pointed out that she could not be Luke because Luke was a boy, Sandra declared that at least she was going to be a Jedi knight; she was going to change the world. At four Sandra listened eagerly as our family read Greek, Roman, and Norse myths together. At five she read Charlotte’s Web and other “chapter” fantasies. At six, she went to Narnia with Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy; at seven she roamed the Welsh countryside with the cast of The Dark Is Rising. Other myths, fantasies, and series of fantasies followed. By high school she was deep into Lord of the Rings.3 As a college student, she has discovered the seemingly unlikely but actually highly congruous combination of Harry Potter and Joseph Campbell: the boy who has carried the tradition of the fantasy hero to the children of the world, and the man whose writings have helped Sandra to understand the impact of this tradition on her life. In analyzing common patterns found in the heroes of myths, folk stories, and fairy tales throughout the world, Campbell (1968) explains the cycle of the child-hero—the hero who beckoned to Sandra throughout her childhood: The “child of destiny” begins in obscurity, often in a situation of extreme danger or degradation. He may be drawn inward “to his own depths” or extended outward to unknown regions. He is in a darkness inhabited by both benign and evil presences. A guide or helper comes to him—often an angel, sometimes an animal or an old woman (p. 326). The child-hero is taken to a school or other special environment where he learns that he has extraordinary talents (p. 327) and recognizes what he has the capacity to become. Eventually the child-hero returns, acclaimed or at least recognized. Sometimes the hero’s accomplishments win him the praise of his social group—sometimes. Reading the pattern as a college student, Sandra acknowledges that she has been responding to it for years. Luke Skywalker grew up in 242 C. S. Lewis, Voyage of the Dawn Treader Children’s Literature in Education relative obscurity on the desert-like planet of Tatooine, discovered his true heritage as a Jedi, underwent an intensive and highly dangerous physical and mental apprenticeship to fulfill his gifts, and eventually took his destined place in the Star Wars hierarchy. His mentors and guides were both human and nonhuman. Wilber, the pig of Charlotte’s Web, was the runt of the litter; his mentor was a spider who was both literate and wise. Wilber eventually became famous, far above the ominous threat of becoming bacon. The children who became kings and queens of Narnia were everyday children sent to the country to escape the dangers of wartime London; their mentor through a series of challenging adventures was a lion named Aslan, who prepared them for their destiny to rule. As each grew up, he or she returned to remain in everyday England to encounter, recognize, and deal with the truths that had been taught in the fantasy world. Campbell did not include these popular children’s fantasies in his analysis; however, Sandra found them. But a nearsighted, lightning-scarred, twenty-first-century kid who lives in a cupboard under the stairs? That seems quite a stretch of the pattern. But as Sandra and I found, to our delight, Harry Potter does follow Campbell’s pattern of the child-hero. When the reader first encounters him at the home of his Aunt and Uncle Dursley, he is unkempt, unloved, and definitely unrecognized as having any particular talents or destiny. Dressed in ill-fitting cast-off clothes and tapedtogether glasses, he is the “despised child” that Campbell finds typical (1968, p. 38); his main function in the Dursley household is as a target for the family’s hostility and scorn. The Dursleys provide all the degradation and much of the danger that Campbell might have had in mind (p. 326). Harry faces darkness and uncertainty as Vernon Dursley’s hostility becomes more intense, and Dursley is irrational and violent (though often amusing) in his attempts to prevent Harry from receiving the fateful letter that the Dursleys know will begin to reveal who and what Harry really is. The revelation begins, appropriately, in stormy darkness, as Harry’s initial helper appears at the isolated lighthouse where Dursley is confident no messenger will be able to come. As the supernatural “protective figure” (Campbell, 1968, p. 72), the shaggy, bumbling half-giant Hagrid is no angel, but he is more than adequate to get Harry started on his hero’s journey into the wizarding world. Like Campbell’s mythical child-hero, Harry attends a school: This one is a school of magic with the wonderful name of Hogwarts. Here Harry learns of what Campbell refers to as “the seed powers, which reside just beyond the sphere of the measured and the named” (pp. 326–327). Campbell says that the powers “are revealed to have been within the heart of the hero all the time. He is ‘the king’s son’ who The Magic of Harry Potter 243 has come to know who he is . . . ‘God’s son,’ who has learned to know how much that title means” (p. 39). Harry’s powers have been given him by his parents, and throughout the currently published books of the series, Harry comes to know both parents and powers one increment at a time. Harry has an additional source of supernatural power, which is not a welcome one: As he attempted to kill the infant Harry and ended up merely scaring him, the evil lord Voldemort unwittingly transferred some of his powers to the child. The adventures Harry Potter faces during his successive years at Hogwarts do require that he be what Campbell (1968) identifies in his hero image as “a personage of exceptional gifts” (p. 37). During the first book of the series, Harry faces extraordinary physical obstacles: a monstrous cave troll, a vicious three-headed dog, a scheming professor who supports and protects the feeble but still powerful Voldemort, who is intent on Harry’s destruction. Harry survives through physical courage, along with a few judicious spells and the support of his friends. In the second book, Harry moves through a series of identity crises, which include assuming a false identity (a disliked classmate), denying an identity he refuses to consider (“heir of Slytherin”), and recognizing aspects of his identity that parallel those of the evil Voldemort, J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire By the third book Harry is ready to go beyond the physical. He now must face his deepest feelings and greatest fears, objectified in the dementors, the boggarts, and the weak but evil wizard whose betrayal brought about the deaths of his parents; he is eventually able to deal with these challenges through mental and emotional strength. In the fourth book, Harry has his first face-to-face encounter with death, as his friend/rival Cedric is murdered by his side, ironically as a result of the noble ethic that prevents either Cedric or Harry from edging the other out for the equally achieved tournament prize. Harry faces physical and mental torture by the now-restored Voldemort, but at this time, as a maturing hero, he is ready to resist it. His return from the encounter with Voldemort is, in words Campbell applies to the hero, “life-enhancing” (1968, p. 35). At the end of each book, Harry, like Campbell’s hero, returns to his former world. Whether Harry is actually recognized could be debated, and he is not acclaimed—yet—but he manages to generate at least a little trepidation in the Dursleys. Literary scholars and English teachers have traditionally enjoyed tracing heroes’ journeys, but do such journeys affect children like Kallie or young adults like Sandra who are seeking to understand their own existence? Campbell (1968) affirms that they do. His work in comparing the journeys of heroes in world mythology, folklore, and fairy tales was undertaken “to uncover some of the truths disguised for us under 244 Children’s Literature in Education the figures of religion and mythology” (p. vii). He explains that “the parallels . . . will develop a vast and amazingly constant statement of the basic truths by which man has lived throughout the millenniums of his residence on the planet” (p. vii). Similar to Bettelheim (1976), Campbell emphasizes what he refers to as the “grammar of symbols” in leading the reader toward understanding those truths. He uses the same key word—unreal—noting that the “fantastic and ‘unreal’ ” (p. 29) incidents represent triumphs of a psychological rather than physical nature. There is additional challenge in creating such triumphs in the modern world, for the challenge of hero-creation is “nothing if not that of rendering the modern world spiritually significant . . . nothing if not that of making it possible for men and women to come to full human maturity through the conditions of contemporary life” (p. 388). Harry Potter, then, is a set of modern symbols for the processes and truths that have been represented by hero and journey symbols through the ages. Young children like Kallie are caught up imaginatively in the exciting details of Harry’s world; they experience Harry’s journey through “seeing” things with their imaginations, largely unaware of the symbolic process that brings them “real world” understanding through Harry’s “unreal” solutions. Older “children” like Sandra know what symbols are and understand how various forms of fantasy reveal symbolically what Campbell calls “the same redemption” (1968, p. 289) that brought their predecessors comfort and closure. Scholastic Books, Harry Potter: Discussion Guide It has been affirmed that the “magic” of the Harry Potter books lies in the parallel worlds (Scholastic, 2001, p. 1). Harry is able to leave the “muggle” world that rejects and abuses him, run through Platform 9 3/4 (or step into a flying car or take a little magic flue powder) and enter the wizarding world where he can learn the lessons and develop the strengths that allow him to mature. Similarly, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy step through a wardrobe (or into a painting or other magic gateway) to enter the parallel world of Narnia, where they are instructed by Aslan, the Savior figure, who tells them that he will always be with them when they grow up and return to the world outside: They must simply learn to recognize him (Lewis, 1952). Significantly, Tolkien’s other world is “Middle Earth.” Campbell (1968) helps us understand that the two worlds, which he designates as “the divine and the human” (p. 217), seem at first to be distinct and very different. “Nevertheless—and here is a great key to the understanding of myth and symbol—the two kingdoms are actually one. The realm of the gods is a forgotten dimension of the world we know” (p. 217). As the reader makes the connection, it is the function of the myth or fantasy “to supply the symbols that carry the human spirit forward” (p. 11). Life never becomes unrealistically easy for Harry, even in a The Magic of Harry Potter 245 world where he carries a phoenix-feather wand and wears an invisibility cloak. Like generations of mythical heroes, Harry’s growth and development come at a price. The reader is left to understand that she, like Harry, will have to strive and struggle, but she can overcome challenges—even without classes in potions and spells. Sandra has experienced the muggle world, and she often affirms her drive to make Campbell’s connection to the divine. She has knelt beside children from broken, negligent, and abusive homes—children in danger of being molested in their muggle schoolyards. When their parents would not allow her to tell them Bible stories, she sang to them and with them: “I am a child of God.” She has held in her arms teenagers who were victims of varied abuse, including incest—letting them cry over their flashbacks, affirming that they too are God’s sons and daughters. She sang her song to a woman in the housing projects who could not decide to leave her alcoholic boyfriend. She sang to an elderly woman in the marketplace who had determined to go home and take her own life. As we talk about our heroes, Sandra explains that she needs Luke Skywalker, Frodo Baggins, and Harry Potter because she needs to believe and to share her belief that the hero can emerge victorious, no matter how oppressive the uncharted darkness may be. She needs Joseph Campbell to tell her that the hero is indeed “God’s son” (1968, p. 19) and that the hero’s victory is “a transcendence of the universal tragedy of man” (p. 28). Bettelheim (1976) affirms: [Fantasy intimates] that a rewarding, good life is within one’s reach despite adversity—but only if one does not shy away from the hazardous struggles without which one can never achieve true identity. These stories promise that if a child [or adult] dares to engage in this fearsome and taxing search, benevolent powers will come to his aid, and he will succeed. (p. 24) Tamora Pierce, “Fantasy: why kids read it, why kids need it” Tamora Pierce (1993), author of a successful fantasy series, experienced this comfort during an agonizing childhood in a dysfunctional family, not unlike some of the trials experienced by Sandra’s friends. Pierce recalls, I visited Tolkien’s Mordor often for years, not because I liked what went on there, but because on that dead horizon and then throughout the sky overhead, I could see the interplay and the lasting power of light and hope. It got me through. (p. 51) Conclusion: Kallie and Sandra, “Joy Beyond the Walls of the World” Kallie has not yet been to Mordor. But she has spent a good deal of time at Hogwarts. She has seen the interplay of light and dark, of good 246 Children’s Literature in Education and evil. She has seen good people, including Harry, Ron, and Hermione, make mistakes and suffer for those mistakes. She has seen intentions, and she has seen forgiveness. Though her friends might not always “choose the right,” Kallie, according to her family, feels a strong imperative to choose the right herself. She has seen the effects of both right and wrong choices on Harry Potter and his schoolmates. On a visit to the Island of Fiji, Kallie saw firsthand the effects of revolution, and she was able deal with them. Sandra has been to Mordor, and to Hogwarts, and to Narnia. Her heroes have carried a ring to the brink of Mount Doom; cracked the face of evil through the power of love; become kings and queens, despite their faults, through the teaching and intervention of a loving mentor who has promised to be with them in any world. Sandra will continue to sing with children, to hold distressed teens, to reach out to the frightened elderly—to attempt to change the world one individual at a time. To some she gives a copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone or The Fellowship of the Ring. To others she gives only the wisdom she has found in them. J. R. R. Tolkien, Tree and Leaf Fantasy empowers its readers (Pierce, 1993) through the unreal truths and the mythical heroes that it shares. As one of the greatest of fantasy writers, J. R. R. Tolkien (1989), has expressed, fantasy “denies . . . universal final defeat . . . , giving a fleeting glimpse of Joy, Joy beyond the walls of the world, poignant as grief” (p. 62). References Bettelheim, Bruno, The Uses of Enchantment. Toronto: Random House of Canada Ltd., 1976. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1976. Campbell, Joseph, The Hero with a Thousand Faces (2nd ed.). Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1968. London: Paladin Grafton, 1988. Cooper, Susan, The Dark Is Rising. New York: Atheneum, 1973. London: Puffin Books Ltd., 1984. Cooper, Susan, “Fantasy in the real world,” The Horn Book, 1990, 66, 304– 314. Lewis, C. S., The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Great Britain: Geoffrey Bles, 1950. New York: Macmillan, 1950. Lewis, C. S., Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Great Britain: Geoffrey Bles, 1952. New York: Macmillan, 1952. Lucas, George, Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays. New York: Ballantyne Books, 1997. Pierce, Tamora, “Fantasy: why kids read it, why kids need it,” School Library Journal, 1993, 39, 50–51. Rowling, J. K., Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 1997. Published in the United States as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. New York: Scholastic, 1998. The Magic of Harry Potter 247 Rowling, J. K., Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 1998. New York: Scholastic, 1999. Rowling, J. K., Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 1999. New York: Scholastic, 1999. Rowling, J. K., Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2000. New York: Scholastic, 2000. Rowling, J. K., Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. London: Bloomsbury Publishing, in press. New York: Scholastic, in press. Schafer, Elizabeth D., Exploring Harry Potter. Osprey, FL: Beacham Publishers, 2000. Scholastic Books, Harry Potter: Discussion Guide, Retrieved April 17, 2001. Tolkien, J. R. R., Tree and Leaf. London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd., 1964. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1989. Tolkien, J. R. R., The Lord of the Rings. London: HarperCollins, 1991. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1991. White, E. B., Charlotte’s Web. New York: Harper and Row, 1952. Copyright of Children's Literature in Education is the property of Springer Science & Business Media B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. Madeleine L'Engle National Humanities Medal 2004 On her fortieth birthday, writer Madeleine L'Engle entertained serious thoughts of giving up writing. She had received rejection after rejection of both her children's and adult novels. On that birthday, she received news that her latest attempt, e Lost Innocent, had been rejected, too. "This was an obvious sign from heaven. I should stop trying to write," she recorded in A Circle of Quiet. "All during the decade of my thirties I went through spasms of guilt because I spent so much time writing, because I wasn't like a good New England housewife and mother. When I scrubbed the kitchen oor, the family cheered. I couldn't make decent pie crust. . . . And with all the hours I spent writing, I was still not pulling my own weight nancially." L'Engle covered her typewriter in defeat and gave herself over to misery only to discover that her subconscious was at work on a novel about failure. "I uncovered my typewriter. In my journal I recorded this moment of decision, for that's what it was. I had to write. I had no choice in the matter. It was not up to me to say I would stop because I could not. It didn't matter how small or inadequate my talent. If I never had another book published, and it was very clear to me that this was a real possibility, I still had to go on writing." Circumstances changed dramatically with the publication of A Wrinkle in Time in 1962, a young adult novel that had been rejected more than thirty times and was only published after L'Engle handed it personally to publisher John Farrar. It became an instant classic. The next year it won the prestigious John Newbery Medal. "Publisher after publisher turned down A Wrinkle in Time," L'Engle wrote, "because it deals overtly with the problem of evil, and it was too di cult for children, and was it a children's or an adult's book, anyhow?" This question of writing for children versus writing for adults would surface again and again. Participating on a panel of children's writers, L'Engle was asked why she wrote for children and replied, "I suppose I write for children because I'm not bright enough to understand the di erence between a children's and an adult's novel." "I'm not a children's writer," she says. "I'm not a Christian writer. I resist and reject that kind of classi cation. I'm a writer period. People underestimate children. They think you have to write di erently. You don't. You just have to tell a story." Telling stories is something that L'Engle has been doing all her life. "I've been a writer ever since I could hold a pencil," she says. Born in New York City in 191, the only child of artistic parents, L'Engle describes her early childhood in her memoir Two-Part Inventions: A Story of a Marriage. "My parents had been married for nearly twenty years when I was born, and although I was a very much wanted baby, the pattern of their lives was already well established and a child was not part of that pattern. So I had my own, with which I was well content, reading and rereading, writing stories and poems; illustrating my stories with pencil and watercolors; playing the piano; living far too much in an interior dream world. But that interior dream world has stood me in good stead many times when the outer world has seemed to be collapsing around me." This interior dream world is not only her safe place but an inspiration for her writing. "The artist, if he is not to forget how to listen," she wrote in Walking on Water, "must retain the vision which includes angels and dragons and unicorns and all the lovely creatures which our world would put in a box marked Children Only." During a long literary career, L'Engle has produced more than sixty books-novels, poetry, essays, memoirs, and Bible commentaries--and received many awards and honorary degrees. L'Engle never forgets that writing is a form of communication with others. "The writing of a book may be a solitary business," she wrote, "it is done alone. The writer sits down with paper and pen, or typewriter, and, withdrawn from the world, tries to set down the story that is crying to be written. We write alone, but we do not write in isolation. No matter how fantastic a story line may be, it still comes out of our response to what is happening to us and to the world in which we live." By CK About the National Humanities Medal The National Humanities Medal, inaugurated in 1997, honors individuals or groups whose work has deepened the nation's understanding of the humanities and broadened our citizens' engagement with history, literature, languages, philosophy, and other humanities subjects. Up to 12 medals can be awarded each year. 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