FantasyFantasy

ELE 616 Research in Children’s Literature

Fall 2011

. . . And bears!

April 12, 2023Fantasy 2

Defining fantasy 1Defining fantasy 1 • Definition: Fantasy is about elves and fairies – Wouldn’t it be great if

we could say that one definition covered it all? But we can’t. Elves and fairies also run amok in children’s stories. Then there are dragons and wizards and a host of other beings that could be included in the framework of fantasy • The Complete Guide to Writi

ng FantasyForeword by Darin Park

• Definition: Fantasy is about elves and fairies – Wouldn’t it be great if

we could say that one definition covered it all? But we can’t. Elves and fairies also run amok in children’s stories. Then there are dragons and wizards and a host of other beings that could be included in the framework of fantasy • The Complete Guide to Writi

ng FantasyForeword by Darin Park

Fantasy 3

• Definition: Fantasy is historical – That could very well be

true. A great number of fantasies, including Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, could fall into the historical category. But there are endless possibilities for modern day fantasies, or fantasies that don’t even include an announced time period. • Foreword by Darin Park

• Definition: Fantasy is historical – That could very well be

true. A great number of fantasies, including Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, could fall into the historical category. But there are endless possibilities for modern day fantasies, or fantasies that don’t even include an announced time period. • Foreword by Darin Park

Defining fantasy 2Defining fantasy 2

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Defining fantasy 3Defining fantasy 3

• Definition: Fantasy is all magic

– Fantasy does include the use of magic. But what about worlds where magic doesn’t exist? What if it’s a world like our own without science or magic, and people and beasts of all sizes and characteristics inhabit this world? Is it science fiction? Is that the qualifying ingredient? Magic? Even though that would make a nice generic definition to finally label our elusive “fantasy” category, unfortunately, it’s not that easy.

• Foreword by Darin Park

• Definition: Fantasy is all magic

– Fantasy does include the use of magic. But what about worlds where magic doesn’t exist? What if it’s a world like our own without science or magic, and people and beasts of all sizes and characteristics inhabit this world? Is it science fiction? Is that the qualifying ingredient? Magic? Even though that would make a nice generic definition to finally label our elusive “fantasy” category, unfortunately, it’s not that easy.

• Foreword by Darin Park

April 12, 2023Fantasy 5

• Fantasy - Explained – Loosely, fantasy is an applied

mythology, a creation in the mind of an author of worlds or events that could not possibly exist in the scientific realm. There is the tendency to create a sort of mixed breed with stories such as “Star Wars” where there are laser wielding aliens and druids with some sort of magical force. But on the whole, science fiction and fantasy usually has a line of demarcation. • Foreword by Darin Park

• Fantasy - Explained – Loosely, fantasy is an applied

mythology, a creation in the mind of an author of worlds or events that could not possibly exist in the scientific realm. There is the tendency to create a sort of mixed breed with stories such as “Star Wars” where there are laser wielding aliens and druids with some sort of magical force. But on the whole, science fiction and fantasy usually has a line of demarcation. • Foreword by Darin Park

Defining fantasy 4Defining fantasy 4

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A famous fantasy titleA famous fantasy title

• Chronicles of Narnia– In C.S. Lewis’ The

Chronicles of Narnia we meet children from our own world who end up, under various circumstances, in a different world: Narnia. In Narnia they meet talking animals, fauns, centaurs, unicorns, and other slightly mythological creatures. And they meet Aslan - he who brought them into that world, because of the need for them there and then, and who provides support when they try to help out in critical situations.

• Chronicles of Narnia– In C.S. Lewis’ The

Chronicles of Narnia we meet children from our own world who end up, under various circumstances, in a different world: Narnia. In Narnia they meet talking animals, fauns, centaurs, unicorns, and other slightly mythological creatures. And they meet Aslan - he who brought them into that world, because of the need for them there and then, and who provides support when they try to help out in critical situations.

Bears in Narnia?Bears in Narnia?• The Bulgy Bears– The Three Bulgy Bears were Old

Narnians who lived in hiding during the reign of Miraz in an old hollow oak tree. They were very bulgy and sleepy but kind and likeable. When they first met Caspian X they accepted Caspian as king and offered him some honey. It was tradition in Narnia that a bear was a Marshal of the Lists and one of the Bulgy Bears served in this position for High King Peter during his defeat of Miraz. A notable problem was that he insisted on sucking his paw no matter how many times people reminded him that it did not look very intimidating.

• Bulgy Bears from WikiNarnia

• The Bulgy Bears– The Three Bulgy Bears were Old

Narnians who lived in hiding during the reign of Miraz in an old hollow oak tree. They were very bulgy and sleepy but kind and likeable. When they first met Caspian X they accepted Caspian as king and offered him some honey. It was tradition in Narnia that a bear was a Marshal of the Lists and one of the Bulgy Bears served in this position for High King Peter during his defeat of Miraz. A notable problem was that he insisted on sucking his paw no matter how many times people reminded him that it did not look very intimidating.

• Bulgy Bears from WikiNarnia

Fantasy 7

Illustration by Pauline BaynesRead more about her here and here

!

A Bear of Very Little Brain, but

with lots of fantasy

A Bear of Very Little Brain, but

with lots of fantasy

Fantasy 8

• Winnie-the-Pooh• Winnie-the-Pooh

Fantasy 9

Winnie the Pooh: Milne vs. Disney

Winnie the Pooh: Milne vs. Disney– Good news for fans of Disney and Pooh alike: much of

what we love about the character is taken from the original stories. Many of the classic adventures of Pooh are lifted directly from A.A. Milne's 1926 "Winnie-the-Pooh."

– At least this was true until recently. After exploring Milne I read several contemporary children's Pooh books and watched current Disney channel show “My Friends Tigger & Pooh.” What I found dismayed me.• by Angela Shambeda

– Good news for fans of Disney and Pooh alike: much of what we love about the character is taken from the original stories. Many of the classic adventures of Pooh are lifted directly from A.A. Milne's 1926 "Winnie-the-Pooh."

– At least this was true until recently. After exploring Milne I read several contemporary children's Pooh books and watched current Disney channel show “My Friends Tigger & Pooh.” What I found dismayed me.• by Angela Shambeda

Fantasy 10

Berenstain BearsBerenstain Bears

• bearly there ?– In every book, a problem is laid out -- the cubs watch too

much TV or eat too many sweets, to name the premises behind two continuous bestsellers. In these particular stories, Mama formulates a plan to steer the kids toward better behavior, and Papa turns out to be the biggest culprit. • by Kathryn Olney,

• bearly there ?– In every book, a problem is laid out -- the cubs watch too

much TV or eat too many sweets, to name the premises behind two continuous bestsellers. In these particular stories, Mama formulates a plan to steer the kids toward better behavior, and Papa turns out to be the biggest culprit. • by Kathryn Olney,

Fantasy 11

– Are the Berenstain Bears just lowbrow morality tales, or have they crudely tapped into what contemporary kids think of the average dad?

Another Brit BearAnother Brit Bear

• Paddington Bear– He would hardly appear out-of-

place in any group of 50-year-old males: a little gnarled, anachronistically dressed, and clinging on to accessories which have seen better days. But what marks out Paddington bear, who celebrates his half-century today, is that he has always looked like this.

• Paddington bear celebrates 50th birthday , By Jack Riley, Independent, 13 October 2008

• Paddington Bear– He would hardly appear out-of-

place in any group of 50-year-old males: a little gnarled, anachronistically dressed, and clinging on to accessories which have seen better days. But what marks out Paddington bear, who celebrates his half-century today, is that he has always looked like this.

• Paddington bear celebrates 50th birthday , By Jack Riley, Independent, 13 October 2008

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• Baloo– “Baloo, the sleepy brown

bear who teaches the wolf cubs the Law of the Jungle.” (Jungle Book, Ch.1: Mowgli's Brothers).

• Baloo– “Baloo, the sleepy brown

bear who teaches the wolf cubs the Law of the Jungle.” (Jungle Book, Ch.1: Mowgli's Brothers).

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Another Bear modified by Disney

Another Bear modified by Disney

•

• William Mitchell of Bakersfield College:– Kipling’s “big, serious, old brown bear” had been

subverted by the new, jovial, grey, sage with the familiar voice. Not that Disney was incorrect to make such a change; he was creating a film that would play to modern family audiences around the world, and the new Baloo was created in such a way that the jolly bear would lead the wholesome charge into thousands of movie houses. • Geoffrey Chaucer, Professor Moriarty, “Adaptation and the

Children’s Novel on Film.”

•

• William Mitchell of Bakersfield College:– Kipling’s “big, serious, old brown bear” had been

subverted by the new, jovial, grey, sage with the familiar voice. Not that Disney was incorrect to make such a change; he was creating a film that would play to modern family audiences around the world, and the new Baloo was created in such a way that the jolly bear would lead the wholesome charge into thousands of movie houses. • Geoffrey Chaucer, Professor Moriarty, “Adaptation and the

Children’s Novel on Film.”

Fantasy 14One evaluation of

Disney’s Baloo

One evaluation of

Disney’s Baloo

What is the point of fantasy, though?

What is the point of fantasy, though?

• Escapist literature? Or not?

• Escapist literature? Or not?

April 12, 2023Fantasy 15