Fantasy Literature : Challenging Genres.

Print version record.

TABLE OF CONTENTS; ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS; INTRODUCTION: Challenging Fantasy Literature; CRITICAL LITERACY; OVERVIEW; REFERENCES; PART ONE: PHILOSOPHICAL ISSUES; 1. IN THE SHADOW OF THE STATUS QUO: The Forgotten in The Lord of the Rings and A Song of Ice and Fire; REFERENCES; 2. THE WIZARDS BENEATH: Finding Plato and Freud in Ursula K. Le Guin's The Tombs of Atuan; UNCONSCIOUS LEARNING TODAY; TABLEAUS OF DARKNESS AND LIGHT; A DIVIDED MIND; LEARNING WITHOUT LIGHT; THE SOURCE OF SHADOWS; LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS; CHOOSING THE LIGHT; CONCLUSION; REFERENCES.

3. YOU'RE A PRINCE, HARRY: The Politics of Oppression and Self-Interest in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter SeriesTHE ENDS JUSTIFY THE MEANS; IT IS SAFER TO BE FEARED THAN LOVED; CONCLUSIONS; NOTES; REFERENCES; 4. DESIGNING A COURSE INTEGRATING CRITICAL PEDAGOGY, FANTASY LITERATURE, AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES; RATIONALE; 1. DEFINING "RELIGION," "MAGIC," AND "FANTASY"; Bibliography 1; 2. COLONIALISM; Bibliography 2; 3. CAPITALISM; Bibliography 3; 4. PERSPECTIVISM AND PRAGMATISM; Bibliography 4; 5. FEMINISM AND QUEER THEORY; Bibliography 5; 6. INTERROGATING THE SELF; Bibliography 6.

7. ROYAL IDEOLOGY AND THE MONOMYTHBibliography 7; 8. CRITICAL PEDAGOGY AND REFLEXIVITY; Bibliography 8; NOTES; REFERENCES; PART TWO: GENDER, CLASS, AND PRIVILEGE; 5. STRONG WOMEN IN FAIRY TALES EXISTED LONG BEFORE FROZEN: Teaching Gender Studies via Folklore; THE RICH SCHOLARLY TRADITION ACCOMPANYING FAIRY TALES; ASKING QUESTIONS TO ENCOURAGE CRITICAL THINKING; SEEING STORIES AS PART OF AN ONGOING CONVERSATION; TALES SPEAKING THE CHANGES A SOCIETY MAY NEED; NOTE; REFERENCES; 6. FROM FLEDGLING TO BUFFY: Critical Literacy, Fantasy, and Engagement in Secondary ELA Classrooms.

OVERVIEW OF FANTASY LITERATURE AND SPECULATIVE FICTIONTHEORETICAL FRAMEWORK; Feminist Poststructuralism; Critical Literacy; Queer Theory; ANALYSIS OF FLEDGLING AND PARALLEL TEXTS; ANALYSIS OF THE LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS AND RELATED TOPICS; APPLICATION AND PEDAGOGICAL IMPLICATIONS; The Genderbread Person; The Genderbread Person Activity; Buffy Characters vs. Shori; Compare and Contrrast Venn Diagram; Popular Culture and Gender Expression; CONCLUSION; REFERENCES; 7. GENDER, CLASS, AND MARGINALIZATION IN BEATRIX POTTER; BEATRIX POTTER; THE TALE OF JEMIMA PUDDLEDUCK; THE TALE OF SAMUEL WHISKERS.

THE TALE OF GINGER AND PICKLESTHE TALE OF MRS. TITTLEMOUSE; CONCLUSION; NOTES; REFERENCES; 8. DEPICTIONS OF SOCIAL CLASS IN NEWBERY-WINNING FANTASIES: A Critical Literacy Approach; DEFINING SOCIAL CLASS AND DISCOURSES ABOUT CLASS; DEPICTIONS OF SOCIAL CLASS IN NEWBERY FANTASIES; THE POOR AND THE WORKING CLASS; THE MIDDLE CLASS AND THE AFFLUENT; DECONSTRUCTING CLASS DISCOURSES IN NEWBERY TITLES; IMPLICATIONS; REFERENCES; Children's Literature Cited.

9. INDIFFERENCE, NEGLECT, AND OUTRIGHT DISLIKE: Examining Sources of and Responses to Institutionalized Oppression in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Fantasy literature, often derided as superficial and escapist, is one of the most popular and enduring genres of fiction worldwide. It is also--perhaps surprisingly--thought-provoking, structurally complex, and relevant to contemporary society, as the essays in this volume attest. The scholars, teachers, and authors represented here offer their perspectives on this engaging genre. Within these pages, a reader will find a wealth of ideas to help teachers use these texts in the classroom, challenging students to read fantasy with a critical eye. They employ interdisciplinary, philosophical, and religious lenses, as well as Marxist and feminist critical theory, to help students unlock texts. The books discussed include epic fantasy by such authors as Tolkien and Le Guin, children's fantasy by Beatrix Potter and Saint-Exupéry, modern fantasy by Rowling and Martin, and even fairy tales and comic books. The contributors offer provocations, questioning the texts and pushing the boundaries of meaning within the fantasy genre. And in doing so, they challenge readers themselves to ponder these tales more deeply. But through each of these chapters runs a profound love of the genre and a respect for those who produce such beautiful and moving stories. Furthermore, as with all the books in this series, this volume is informed by the tenets of critical pedagogy, and is focused on re-envisioning fantasy literature through the lens of social justice and empowerment. Prepare to be challenged and inspired as you read these explorations of a much-loved genre.

Includes bibliographical references.

eBooks on EBSCOhost EBSCO eBook Subscription Academic Collection - Worldwide