Modern Fantasy Final Presentation EDUC 4400

By Gabriella Roth

What is Modern Fantasy?

• Distinguished from other genres by:• Story elements that violate the natural, physical laws of our known world• Events akin to magic

• Examples include:• Talking animals (Charlottes Web)• Imaginary worlds (Hogwarts)• Fanciful characters (hobbits, dwarves, giants)• Magical beings (witches, sorcerers, genies)

Modern Fantasy Continued:• Most difficult to write (author

has to create new laws and conform to them)

• Tiny slips can destroy the credibility of the story

• Not just a matter of make-believe

• Must have strong, believable characters

• Must have a strong credible plot

• Should examine issues of the human condition

• “universal truths found in all well-written books”

Categories of Modern FantasyCategorized by the type of

fantastic• Animal fantasy• Toys and objects imbued with life • Tiny humans • Peculiar characters and

situations • Imaginary worlds

story element employed:• Magical powers• Supernatural tales• Time-warp fantasies • High fantasy• Novelized traditional tales

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

Charlotte’s Web opens the door to a magical world, which a young girl named Fern finds herself a part of. Fern spends her

free time with Wilbur the pig whom she loves and the other barn animals who play a large part in the life of Wilbur. Charlotte A. Cavatica, the large grey spider, befriends Wilbur and helps him deal with the shocking news that his life will end as bacon on someone’s plate. Charlotte goes as far as coming up with an interesting plan that only this spider could carry out with the

help of Templeton the rat (who never does anything unless there is something in it for himself) to help Wilbur escape death.

How is Charlotte’s Web Modern Fantasy?

It is a story that departs from reality• Exhibits animal fantasy

• There are talking animals• Exhibits high fantasy

• Has all the fantasy motifs of a traditional fairy tale yet is a new and original story

Mary Pope Osborne’s: Magic Tree House Series

• Dinosaurs Before Dark: Jack and Annie are walking in the woods close to their home in Frog Creek, Pennsylvania. They come across a mysterious tree house filled with books. Jack opens a book on dinosaurs and wishes that he could see a pteranodon for real, the tree house takes them back to the time of the dinosaurs.

How is Dinosaurs before Dark Modern Fantasy?

• Jack and Annie travel back in time:• Exhibiting a time-warp fantasy • Exhibiting a magical powers fantasy

Six basic Fantasy Motifs

• 1. Magic • 2. Other worlds• 3. Good verses evil• 4. Heroism• 5. Special character types• 6. Fantastic objects

Magic Magic is fantasy’s literature’s most basic element.Each of the other five elements are tinged by magic in some degree Often part of the setting In many popular books: Harry Potter Lord of the Rings Magic Tree House seriesAlso in Charlotte’s Web (animals ability to speak like people)

Other WorldsAuthors employ three common methods of

incorporating other worlds into their stories:1. Setting: having the place in an imaginary world2. Taking characters into another world: some sort of

portalo Examples:

• The tornado in Wizard of Oz

• The Wardrobe in the Lion, the witch and the Wardrobe

• Platform 9 and 3/4 in Harry Potter

3. The other world invading our primary world: o Examples:

• Harry Potter books

Good versus EvilModern fantasy stories have a strong mythical

base.• This motif is what myth is all about:• Gives rise to conflict • Without conflict, there is no story• Readers have no trouble aligning characters on a

light or dark side• “Fantasies are concerned with how good and evil

manifest themselves in individual.”

Heroism Six elements of Heroism:

• 1. The hero is called to adventure by some sort or herald• Ex: Harry Potter

• 2. The hero crosses the threshold into the other world or into a place that is no longer safe and secure• Ex: the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

• 3. The hero must survive various trials in a new environment• Ex: Hercules

• 4. The hero is assisted by a protective figure• Ex: The Hobbit

• 5. The hero matures, becoming a whole person• Ex: The Wizard of Oz

• 6. The hero returns home• Ex: Frozen

Special Character typesFantasies may include characters from: our legendary past, or an authors imagination.

Characters are rarely humans, but may be:• - fairies, -

pixies,• - giants, -

wicked • -witches, -

ogres, • - vampires, - wizards, • - dwarves, - elves,

etc.

Fantastic ObjectsCharacters in modern fantasy stories often have

fantastic objectsObjects may help them accomplish heroic or evil needs.o Some are:• - Magic cloaks, - swords, • -staffs, - cauldrons, • -mirrors, - brooms, • -rings

Bibliography • Tunnel, M.O., Jacobs, J.S., Young, T.A. & Bryan, G. (2012). Children’s

Literature, Briefly (5th Ed). Boston, MA: Pearson. • Pflieger, Pat, and Helen M. Hill. A Reference Guide to Modern Fantasy

for Children. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1984. Print.• Raines, Shirley C., and Rebecca T. Isbell. Stories: Children's Literature

in Early Education. Albany, NY: Delmar, 1994. Print.• White, E. B. Charlotte's Web. New York: Harper & Row, 1952. Print. • Osborne, Mary Pope., and Sal Murdocca. Magic Tree House.

Dinosaurs before Dark. New York: Random House, 2012. Print.