Week 4
How does Tolkien (1964) define fantasy? Compare and contrast this to the other definitions from last week’s reader?
Tolkien says, “Fantasy combines with its older and higher of unreality of freedom from the domination of observed “fact”, in short of the fantastic” (1964, p.45). In this definition, Tolkien points out that Fantasy must have its “Unreality” feature which is similar with Attebery’s descriptions. Furthermore, Tolkien also mentions that Fantasy requests a Secondary World making and commands Secondary belief.However, Tolkien addresses that the “inner consistency of reality” is a high state of fantasy; in contrast, Attebery emphasized some violation of primary world’s law.
I think Attebery defines Fantasy as a literary genre. When he gives his definition, he may think about the different literary forms under this genre, such as Fantasy novels and Fantasy films, to find their common similarities. So, in his 1980 books, although he refers Tolkien’s definitions, his discussion is more on the genre level.
However, Tolkien’s fantasy seems to be in narrower sense. Tolkien Points out “fairy-stories offer …these things: fantasy, recovery, escape, consolation” (p.44). In this statement, Fantasy is defined as a type of fairy story . Moreover, in the book, Tolkien talks about fantasy from human mind abilities; it more likes a human instinct. Further onward, the author argues that fantasy is easier to be presented in words than painting and drama. Here, Fantasy is still not a genre; it is only a special characteristic of all genres. Therefore, based on this level of understanding, Tolkien describes that fantasy is in short of fantastic.
Reference:
Attebery, B. (1980). The fantasy tradition in American literature: from Irving to Le Guin (p.1-10). Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
Tolkien, J.R.R. (1964). On Faerie Stories. In Tree and Leaf. London: Unwin Hyman.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Week 3
How does Attebery (1980) define fantasy? Find at least five definitions.
“How to define Fantasy?” is the main topic in Attebery’s 1980 book chapter one. Firstly, Attebery notices that the simple way to define Fantasy is to find its primary feature. Irwin (as cited in Attebery,1980) defines that Fantasy is “an overt violation of what is generally accepted as possibility”. Tolkien(as cited in Attebery,1980) also gives his definition of fantasy is “founded upon the hard recognition that the thing are so in the world as it appears under the sun; on the recognition of fact but not a slavery to it”. Based on these two descriptions, it is clear that in a fantasy narrative, there must be something never appeared in our natural world, indeed, is made up by writer. In other words, if a literary work does not contain any “impossible” things, it simply cannot be fantasy. Therefore, Attebery points out “any narrative which includes as a significant part of its make-up some violation of what the author clearly believes to be natural law-That is Fantasy” (p.3).
Another way to define Fantasy is to find out what make it different from related genres. Attebery compares fantasy with Science fiction, lyric poetry, narrative poetry and other surreal fictions on how to treat the impossible characters, object or events. Science fiction convinces people to believe that if the science technology has become advanced, the circumstances in the narrative can be possibly true. Although lyric poetry and narrative poetry also often deal with impossibilities and fantastics, the impossible object normally are treated as “temporary manifestations of states of mind” and Surreal fiction can unpredictably present discursive characters of events. However, in Fantasy, Attebery argues that “readers and witter are committed to maintaining the illusion for entire course of the fiction” which means, when reading the fantasy work, the reader not only accept the settlement of the fiction but also all the impossible details within it. Then Attebery expands his definition: “Fantasy is a game of sorts and it demand that on play whole-heartedly accepting for the moment all rules and turns of the game. The reward for this extra payment is an occasional sense of unexpected beauty and strangeness, a quality… wonder” (p.3)
Attebery evaluates other Fantasy definitions and finds some of them only give a description of minor subtype of fantasy. He enumerates the definitions from Tzvetan Todorov and Eric Rabkin point out that these definitions are only suit for particular stories. Then he goes down to his description “The most important thing [Fantasy works] share is the sense of wonder” and “Fantasy invokes wonder by making the impossible seem familiar and the familiar seem new and strange.”
Attebery also states his discovery of fantasy’s history. He explains the development from earliest kind of fantasy-the folktale, traditional fairy tale, the wonder tale to resent fantasy works to make us clear about Fantasy’s changes.
Reference
Attebery, B. (1980). The fantasy tradition in American literature: from Irving to Le Guin (pp.1-10). Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
“How to define Fantasy?” is the main topic in Attebery’s 1980 book chapter one. Firstly, Attebery notices that the simple way to define Fantasy is to find its primary feature. Irwin (as cited in Attebery,1980) defines that Fantasy is “an overt violation of what is generally accepted as possibility”. Tolkien(as cited in Attebery,1980) also gives his definition of fantasy is “founded upon the hard recognition that the thing are so in the world as it appears under the sun; on the recognition of fact but not a slavery to it”. Based on these two descriptions, it is clear that in a fantasy narrative, there must be something never appeared in our natural world, indeed, is made up by writer. In other words, if a literary work does not contain any “impossible” things, it simply cannot be fantasy. Therefore, Attebery points out “any narrative which includes as a significant part of its make-up some violation of what the author clearly believes to be natural law-That is Fantasy” (p.3).
Another way to define Fantasy is to find out what make it different from related genres. Attebery compares fantasy with Science fiction, lyric poetry, narrative poetry and other surreal fictions on how to treat the impossible characters, object or events. Science fiction convinces people to believe that if the science technology has become advanced, the circumstances in the narrative can be possibly true. Although lyric poetry and narrative poetry also often deal with impossibilities and fantastics, the impossible object normally are treated as “temporary manifestations of states of mind” and Surreal fiction can unpredictably present discursive characters of events. However, in Fantasy, Attebery argues that “readers and witter are committed to maintaining the illusion for entire course of the fiction” which means, when reading the fantasy work, the reader not only accept the settlement of the fiction but also all the impossible details within it. Then Attebery expands his definition: “Fantasy is a game of sorts and it demand that on play whole-heartedly accepting for the moment all rules and turns of the game. The reward for this extra payment is an occasional sense of unexpected beauty and strangeness, a quality… wonder” (p.3)
Attebery evaluates other Fantasy definitions and finds some of them only give a description of minor subtype of fantasy. He enumerates the definitions from Tzvetan Todorov and Eric Rabkin point out that these definitions are only suit for particular stories. Then he goes down to his description “The most important thing [Fantasy works] share is the sense of wonder” and “Fantasy invokes wonder by making the impossible seem familiar and the familiar seem new and strange.”
Attebery also states his discovery of fantasy’s history. He explains the development from earliest kind of fantasy-the folktale, traditional fairy tale, the wonder tale to resent fantasy works to make us clear about Fantasy’s changes.
Reference
Attebery, B. (1980). The fantasy tradition in American literature: from Irving to Le Guin (pp.1-10). Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Week 5
Is it a high or low culture genre, according to Napier (2005)? What are some of its subgenres?
According to Napier (2005), Anime is Japanese animation as it always refers to both Japan and the west and is a phenomenon of popular culture. Anime works with popular taste or what the market demands, hence it is short lived. The question is, is Anime a high or low culture. Napier (2005), states that anime has roots in high culture forms and is a challenging art form in the market place. Napier (2005), affirms that “anime is a popular cultural form that clearly builds on previous hig
Napier (2005, p.4), also makes a statement by saying that “anime clearly appears to be a cultural phenomenon worthy of being taken seriously both sociologically and aesthetically”. Napier (2005), then elaborates on anime, its popularity and its worldwide influence because of its high culture genre which differentiates anime to other forms of art or cartoons. Napier (2005), states that Japan has always known for its high cultural products such as Haiku, Zen and Martials arts Japan then started to develop other forms of art. In 1990, Japan developed animated films and videos. An example of Japanese art influence on the world is that the Japanese word “Anime” is an abbreviation of the English word animation, which has now also extended the American vocabulary.
Despite cultural differences anime has continued to attract a range of audience. Anime is shown on the science fiction channels on mainstream videos as blockbuster video and a whole section is devoted to Virgin Mega store in London. (Napier, 2005)
Napier (2005, p.4), also points out that Japanese anime has influenced the world starting from “Pokemon toy give-away in 1999 at Kentucky fried chicken to American Museums where anime inspired artists such as Yanobe Kenji have received favourable critical comments”. Therefore, anime is a wide spread and has influenced many despite all cultural differences.
Going back to anime the” high culture” genre, Napier (2005, p.8), states that “Japanese culture is a strictly fascinating contemporary Japanese art form with a distinction narrative and visual art that both harks back to traditional Japanese culture and moves forward to the cutting edge of art and media”. By stating this Napier (2005), points out rich Japanese culture which makes it the high culture and so this high culture is transformed into anime. It is also noted in Napier (2005, p.9), text that the “most valuable feature of the concept of culture is the concept of difference” which is certainly obvious in anime as it is a persistent difference which has dominated the low context American cultures.
The complex storylines of Anime is also another fact which makes it a challenging genre. The dark tone and content bring surprise to audience. Napier (2005) defines anime as a narrative art form. Anime is a different visual element with philosophical structure to produce a unique world. Anime involves work specifically around Japanese context such as period of Samurai warfare; texts like Grave of the fireflies, set in the WWII days also suggest issues like politics and history.
Miyazaki’s (2006) Prinicess Mononoke also consists of historical epic nature through a mixture of modern and fantasy world. (Napier, 2005) The AUT screening of Princess Mononoke is a great example if high culture anime. This film is an animated historical fantasy featured film in which the struggle between supernatural guardians of a forest and the human of Iron town who damage the forest and consume the resources, is the storyline. It us a typical Japanese anime in which the name of places and the storyline link greatly to the Japanese culture.
Napier (2005), has also mentioned two of anime’s most popular genres, Cyberpunk and the so called Mecha genre, which are all within science fiction. Cyberpunk which is well known western science fiction classics such as Gibson’s Neuromancer which shows humans struggle in a technological world. Mecha genre, which is actually short of mechanical, is a favourite form from Japanese popular cultures. Both of these films are western science fiction films.
Therefore, it is quite apparent that anime has a distinctive feature compare to western cartoons. Anime is a part of truly main stream popular culture. Images from anime are deeply related throughout Japan. Since Japan is a country that is traditionally more pictocentric compare to cultures of west. Thus anime fits well with the contemporary cultures of the visual. As a result, due to the high Japanese culture and its great influence on anime, anime is certainly considered as a high culture genre.
Reference:
Napier, S. (2005). Why anime? In Anime: from Akira to Howl’s Moving Castle (pp.3-14).
Hampshire: Palgrave/ Macmillan.AUT Screening: Miyazaki, H. (Director). (2006). Princess Mononoke. Tokyo: Studio Ghibli Productions.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Week 2
What does Baetens (2001) mean by 'monstration', 'graphiation' and the 'graphiateur' ?
In a comic, the words play a important roll of storytelling, the pictures do this as well, because a picture in a comic is not only a image to look at, but also carries meaning, it should be read. Thus, the pictures in the comics are both visual and narrative.
Therefore, when a artist draw a picture in a comic, he or she is thinking about how to use picture to represent the story. For example, she or he may think what is the character should be, what the character's situation, what kind of reaction the character should have, how to represent it what kind of mark form should be used etc. All these enunciations combined with the artist's personality will be represented by the artists drawing. What the artist want to represent can be described as graphiation and the artist is the graphiateur. More precisely, "Mason propose to call the 'graphiation' the graphic and narrative enunciation of comics and 'graphiateur' the agent responsible for it"(Baetens,2001, p.147). However, although every graphiateur's drawing bears the trace of graphiation, the analyses their work can only get a hint of their graphiation.
Monstration is a new theory from Gaudreault (as cited in Beatens,2001). He describes film as monstration because it is a great "combination of several types of narration" (Beatens,2001,p.147). I think, compare with graphiation, monstration is more clearly, directly and easily to be presented by the film, because the monstration can be carried out by moving images and sounds. so, it includes the stance of the novelist, film directors and other related staff.
Baetons, J. (2001). Revealing the trace : the new theory of graphic enunciaton . In Varnum, R. & Gillbon, D. (ED.). the language of comic: word and image (pp.145-155). Jackson: U Press of Mississippi.
In a comic, the words play a important roll of storytelling, the pictures do this as well, because a picture in a comic is not only a image to look at, but also carries meaning, it should be read. Thus, the pictures in the comics are both visual and narrative.
Therefore, when a artist draw a picture in a comic, he or she is thinking about how to use picture to represent the story. For example, she or he may think what is the character should be, what the character's situation, what kind of reaction the character should have, how to represent it what kind of mark form should be used etc. All these enunciations combined with the artist's personality will be represented by the artists drawing. What the artist want to represent can be described as graphiation and the artist is the graphiateur. More precisely, "Mason propose to call the 'graphiation' the graphic and narrative enunciation of comics and 'graphiateur' the agent responsible for it"(Baetens,2001, p.147). However, although every graphiateur's drawing bears the trace of graphiation, the analyses their work can only get a hint of their graphiation.
Monstration is a new theory from Gaudreault (as cited in Beatens,2001). He describes film as monstration because it is a great "combination of several types of narration" (Beatens,2001,p.147). I think, compare with graphiation, monstration is more clearly, directly and easily to be presented by the film, because the monstration can be carried out by moving images and sounds. so, it includes the stance of the novelist, film directors and other related staff.
Baetons, J. (2001). Revealing the trace : the new theory of graphic enunciaton . In Varnum, R. & Gillbon, D. (ED.). the language of comic: word and image (pp.145-155). Jackson: U Press of Mississippi.
Week 1
Does Varnum(2011) define the difference between a cartoon, comic and graphic novel? According to Varnum (2011) what distinguishes comic from other media?
According to Varnum (2011), the author gathered many essays to argued about the way words and image interact in comic, through the analyse of these essays, Varnum does not clearly define the difference between a cartoon, comic and a graphic novel. Conversely, the author group the "the comic strips, comic books, graphic novels, single panel cartoons... and other visual texts"(Varnum, 2011) in a family and defined them all as comics.
The reason of this definition can be made is attributed to the similar features these literary forms have. Although these forms do not share a same feature, any two of them have similarities.
Personally the relationship between image and text distinguishes a cartoon and a graphic novel. In a cartoon, the images seem to be more transparent that words; but in a graphic novel, the narrative plot seem to be more fascinating. On the other hand, as they both have images, captions and marks such as a forms of balloon or a panel frame, they can be included into comic genre. Indeed, these three features make comic stand out from other genre.
Varnum, R. & Gibbons, C. (ED.). The language of comic: word and image(pp.145-155). Jackson: U Press of Mississippi.
According to Varnum (2011), the author gathered many essays to argued about the way words and image interact in comic, through the analyse of these essays, Varnum does not clearly define the difference between a cartoon, comic and a graphic novel. Conversely, the author group the "the comic strips, comic books, graphic novels, single panel cartoons... and other visual texts"(Varnum, 2011) in a family and defined them all as comics.
The reason of this definition can be made is attributed to the similar features these literary forms have. Although these forms do not share a same feature, any two of them have similarities.
Personally the relationship between image and text distinguishes a cartoon and a graphic novel. In a cartoon, the images seem to be more transparent that words; but in a graphic novel, the narrative plot seem to be more fascinating. On the other hand, as they both have images, captions and marks such as a forms of balloon or a panel frame, they can be included into comic genre. Indeed, these three features make comic stand out from other genre.
Varnum, R. & Gibbons, C. (ED.). The language of comic: word and image(pp.145-155). Jackson: U Press of Mississippi.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Week 4
How does the fantasy genre relate to modern media such as video games?
Modern media such as video games, Playstation, PSP, Xbox, Wii, computer games etc. are all based on fantasy genre. Most games are based on the unreal world with all unreal and impossible ideas. As Burn (2005), compares Harry Potter games in his article and writes that though Harry’s actions are different to book and films but still greatly involve the fantasy genre. Perhaps at a greater level, for example, “Harry has to fight the spider, cut the masses of web that hold Aragog aloft and then fight Aragog herself as she descends. He cuts the web and attacks the spider by casting spell (left mouse button) and then evades the attacks of Aragog and her children by running (arrow keys) and jumping (control key) (Burn, 2005, n.p).
The game relies on the player to gain victory or lose. The player has all the freedom to control the game according to their own will. Casting of spell, fighting the giant spider, attacking and jumping at an abnormal height or distance are all form of fantasy. Having control over Harry’s actions allows us to play the game according to our wish. Playing such fantasy genre games gives one the feeling of being practically present in the game. For instance, as Burn (2005, n.p), states “In my case as a player, I arrived at this sequence with insufficient health, since I had not collected enough magic potions along the way”. Here, Burn is stating his experience of the game the sort of language he uses as if he practically and actually had not been able to collect the potions.
Similarly, while playing the game you can find cheats which can provide you ideal power and strength and full health in order to complete the level successfully. Having extra powers, strength and bonus qualities are a common idea used in almost all games. Some games require you to collect money by killing other players in the game such as fighting games while other games may require you to get extra power by killing the enemy etc. or you would be given limited time to collect weapons or other objects in order to receive a higher score. Burn (2005. n.p) also states this in his article that while playing the game you actually become the character, as he states “since he alone is constructed as the players avatar we are addressed by the game as if we are Harry” (Burn, 2005, n.p). Burn (2005), also relates people’s experiences of the game by saying that one of the children playing the Harry Potter game mentions about her experience of the game by saying that “she finds the game authentic because it allows her to be Harry Potter in certain specific, existing ways: ability to spell, to jump, to play Quidditch, to fly on broomstick.” (Burn, 2005, n.p). All these metaphorical terms show the use of fantasy in the different type of games.
Furthermore, the Castle Fiction.com (n.d) also states some characteristics of the modern media or games which show the fiction or the fantasy world present in the games. For example “Do you want to be a muscle-bound warrior? A wizard? Or maybe some type of non-human character like a dwarf or elf?” (Castle Fiction.com, n.d)
Another example of fantasy game is star wars which is a multiplayer online game set in the same universe. In which the genre of science fiction fantasy is presented.
Moreover, if we look at the Wikipedia definition alone, clearly relates to modern media. Wikipedia states fantasy as the genre of magic supernatural phenomena, and setting based on unreal world, Imaginary world and unreal characteristics given to the characters. (Wikipedia, 2011).
This can clearly be related to all games genre. All modern media completely relies on the fantasy genre and can be deeply related to it.
Reference:
Wikipedia. (2011). Fantasy. Retrieved August 13, 2011 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantasy
Castle Fictions.com: Epic and Heroic fantasy video games. (n.d). Retrieved August 12th, 2011 from http://www.castlefiction.com/epic_fantasy_main/epic_fantasy_games.htm
Burn, A (2005). Potter-Literacy- from book to game and back again; literature, film, game and cross-media literacy’, in papers: Explorations into children’s Literature Vol 14, No 3
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