In what ways does Tax (2002) suggest Earthsea may still be relevant today?
Tax suggests that because of the rapid change we constantly experience as part of our modern world there are moral tales contained in fantasy which help to ground us, reminding us of truths that hold the test of time.
“All times are changing times, but ours is one of massive, rapid moral and mental transformation…it’s unsettling. For all our delight in the impermanent, the entrancing flicker of electronics, we also long for the unalterable… So people turn to the realms of fantasy for stability, ancient truths, immutable simplicities’ (p 15-16)
These ‘ancient truths’ are important for us and give us a sense of order in an age which is overloaded with information that meaning can feel lost. With the use of advertising we are constantly being bombarded with messages but often very shallow messages that are not moving between good and evil can be, the fantasy tales can seem to restore the balance and remind us that society can be very constructed but you can enter separate worlds through literature and get a release from it.
Tax suggests that Le Guin does not write in a commercial and generic way like some other fantasy writers, which is an important in difference in the commercial world we live in, as she writes originally and does not keep producing the same work, hoping to achieve more than just profit. An example of breaking out of typical fantasy moulds is her use of lead female roles in her later novels, which differs from fantasy books such as Lord of the Rings, which females typically play secondary role. This is still relevant today as feminism and gender is something commonly examined in literature and can be controversial.
Reference:
Tax, M. (Jan 28, 2002). In the Year of Harry Potter, Enter the Dragon. In The Nation.
I think you raise two very important points that I also followed up on. Feminism and Gender are both definitely controversial factors that are relevant in many literature's of our contemporary era. Tax makes a good note of this in her article.
ReplyDeleteI think that it's important for females to have a more prominent role in fiction in general, not the fantasy genre alone, but then I just can't get enough of watching women kicking a**. Hello, Sigourney Weaver, anyone?
ReplyDeleteBut seriously, though, where you make mention of information overload and fantasy as a means of reducing the complexity of the real world, that is just utterly profound. It's quite possible that video games, especially online roleplaying games, could fit this paradigm as well.
Good job, and thanks for giving my noggin a solid workout!