Escapism in Childrens Literature - 887 Words

Children’s literature can take many forms, from far-fetching science fiction to spell binding who-done-it mysteries. One of the most popular ideas presented in these various forms is that of escapism. The characters in these stories explore quite complex social issues in ways that are less confrontational then realism. One might consider why escape is such a central theme; as a child there are numerous benefits to fantasy, it allows readers to experiment with different views of the world and takes hypothetical situations and invites them to make connections between this fictive scenario and their own reality. John Stephens an English professor at Macquarie University has said â€Å" Fantasy writing operates through metaphor- so that the unfamiliar is used to stand in for, or comment upon, the familiar.† The use of metaphor in Fantasy makes it more â€Å"open† to different readings and meanings. Take J.M. Barrie’s fantasy novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland as an example. Barrie uses his story to transport Alice to an unknown world full of backwards words and talking animals. This allows Alice to escape the boredom of picture less books and adult conversations that were beginning to consume her. Similar in theory is Neil Gaiman’s style of writing. Gaiman has produced a number of Victorian-influenced fantasy novels for children, including Coraline. Coraline, like Alice centers on a young girl entering another world. Escape can be seem in many books for children but one story inShow MoreRelatedFantasy Is Reality Essay1149 Words   |  5 Pagesover the years since it has been published in the 1930s. According to Steven Jones, the use of fantasy in fairy tales is quot;the most salient...stylistic feature.quot; In most other stories which fall into the genre of fairy tales or fantasy literature, one can never overemphasize the importance of fantasy in them. However, the fantastical elements there is usually accompanied by some realistic elements, such as a link with the ordinary world like ours. For example in Alices Adventures in WonderlandRead More The Journey in Children’s Fantasy Fiction1334 Words   |  5 PagesThere Back Again: Analysing The Journey in Children’s Fantasy Fiction in regards to the Escapism Debate So many children’s fantasy fiction stories began as larks, extempore creations for their delight, and were written down and published by chance – Lewis Carroll invented Alice In Wonderland (1865) simply to amuse Alice Liddell while boating one ‘golden afternoon’, while Neil Gaiman originally started writing Coraline (2002) for his daughter Holly because she liked scary stories. So much so, thatRead MoreChildrens Literature Becoming an Equalizer876 Words   |  4 Pagesimportance of reading; which, is the basis for leaving England settling in America. Children’s literature started with teaching to read for the expressed purpose of understanding the word of a higher power and living accordingly. The importance of literacy becomes more apparent as society falls in to war. Furthermore, many authors, philosophers and many other important figures in history impacted children’s literature, expanding on the original idea reading is an equalizer. In Essay Concerning HumanRead More C.S. Lewis on Misunderstanding Fantasy Essay4960 Words   |  20 Pagesthe loss of credibility of fantasy literature among the academic elite who ruled it a popular genre with little to no scholarly merit. Little that had had the misfortune of being dubbed fantasy had escaped the blacklist cast upon the field. Many critics had also labeled the fantasy genre as largely clichà ©, full of shallow characters, and as having no value beyond being purely escapist entertainment. These generic labels, applied wholesale to fantastic literature, had pushed it off the radar untilRead MoreNeverland and Peter and Wendy by James Matthew Barrie1319 Words   |  5 PagesClosing the Window (draft 5) â€Å"On these magic shores children at play are for ever breaching their coracles. We too have been there; we can still hear the sound of the surf, though we shall land no more.† Romantic children’s literature for time immemorial has allowed its audience to imagine the unimaginable, to believe in the magical, to explore uncharted territory and to see themselves in and through the lives of the characters. These tales expose their audiences to the opportunities, and the freedomRead MoreThe Value Of Entertainment Within Film1776 Words   |  8 Pagesaudience it is an escape into a different world which allows a story to be told, much like literature. Furthermore, literature is considered more than just entertainment and film is usually described as words within moving pictures. It is for this reason the function of film is not only to entertain, but to tell a story and inspire audiences to return and continue watching films. Furthermore, a recent animated children’s film that explores film as entertainment is Disney Pixar’s animation, Inside Out (2015)Read MoreEssay on Censorship - To Censor Literature is to Censor Life2196 Words   |  9 PagesTo Censor Literature is to Censor Life      Ã‚  Ã‚   All that mankind has done, thought, gained or been: it is lying as in magic preservation in the pages of books.   They are the chosen possession of men.   Thomas Carlyle spoke these words in the early 19th century.   Two hundred years later, it seems we still do not understand the breadth and magnificence of the written word.  Ã‚   Americans have forgotten the magical experiences that can be found in the pages of books.   Instead of respecting the chosenRead MoreConsumer Behavior And Consumer Behaviour1575 Words   |  7 Pagesbelonging and love; affection, giving and receiving love. Following by self-esteem and esteem from others and self-actualisation, which can be described as personal self-fulfilment. Despite the influence of this theory, in terms of tourism motivation literature, needs-based motivation theories have been criticised because forecasting the effects of motivation on behaviour involve more than an understanding of human needs, this is because people’s needs will not essentially tell us what they will reallyRead MoreJ. M. Barrie s Peter Pan And Lewis Carroll s Alice s Adventure Essay2118 Words   |  9 Pagesas the differences. Firstly, J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan and Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland are both children’s literature which resonates with children as well as the adult audience however Wonderland does not associate to one’s maturity level, but to one’s sanity level. Barrie’s Peter Pan and Carroll’s Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland are both children’s literature which resonates with children as well as the adult audience however Wonderland does not associate to one’s maturity levelRead MoreSleeping Beauty1613 Words   |  7 PagesSleeping Beauty Literature Review The story of Sleeping Beauty has evolved over time and has been changed slightly throughout the different versions. It has changed in order to fit social norms for the time and context has been altered to appeal to the current audiences. The three main versions of Sleeping Beauty are the Charles Perrault in 1697, which was adapted from the original fairy tale Sun, Moon, and Talia by Giambattistas Basile in 1634. Perraults version was a tale