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.
Table of Content
Acknowledgements; Introduction: Challenging Fantasy Literature; Part One: Philosophical Issues; In the Shadow of the Status Quo: The Forgotten in The Lord of the Rings and A Song of Ice and Fire; The Wizards Beneath: Finding Plato and Freud in Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Tombs of Atuan; You’re a Prince, Harry: The Politics of Oppression and Self-Interest in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter Series; Designing a Course Integrating Critical Pedagogy, Fantasy Literature, and Religious Studies; Part Two: Gender, Class, and Privilege; Strong Women in Fairy Tales Existed Long Before Frozen: Teaching Gender Studies via Folklore; From Fledgling to Buffy: Critical Literacy, Fantasy, and Engagement in Secondary ELA Classrooms; Gender, Class, and Marginalization in Beatrix Potter; Depictions of Social Class in Newbery-Winning Fantasies: A Critical Literacy Approach; 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; Part Three: Education and Social Justice; Magic as Privilege in Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson’s Wheel of Time Epic Fantasy Series; Seeing Harry as an At-Risk Student: Critical Literacy, Cultural Capital, and the Wizarding World; Magical Objects in Fantasy: A Multicultural Examination; Critical Literacy in Inquiry Learning: Perspective Sharing through Multiple Literacies, Continuous Inquiry, and Reflection; “Bruce Banner can be an Asshole”: Using a Fan Fic to Break Down Privilege and Introduce Service-Learning Concepts; Author Biographies.
More ebooks from the same author(s) / Editor
159,919 Ebooks in this category
