Fantasy Questions

What was the attitude towards fantasy before the late Victorian Era?

people disapproved of fantasy for children. Fantasy books were immoral and subversive—would lead kids astray, frighten them, or leave them with a diseased imagination.

List three kinds of traditional literature.

rhymes, folktales, fables, legends, myths

What gifts do the three witches give to Tomjon when he is a baby?

the ability to make friends easily, superb memory, and the advice to be whoever he thinks he is

Why do the heirs of Stormhold want to find the fallen star?

the dying lord removes his topaz necklace (you know, the one whose wearer, if of Stormhold blood, becomes the ruler of Stormhold) and tosses it out into the night sky. He tells his sons that whoever retrieves it will become the next lord of Stormhold

Why do Fezzik and Inigo bring Westley back from the dead?

they want Westley alive so they can ruin Humperdinck's wedding, they want to raid the castle

List three of the stories in Perrault's collection of fairy tales.

u"The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood" u"Little Red Riding Hood" u"The Master Cat; or, Puss in Boots" u"Cinderella; or, the Little Glass Slipper"

List two characteristics of Romantic nationalism.

uFocused on development of a national language (or dialect). uInterested in preserving national folklore. uSaw spiritual value in local customs and traditions. uStressed the importance of a national epic—a legendary work of poetry that defines a nation. uInfluenced art, opera, literature.

Why is traditional literature associated with children?

uStories come from what used to be seen as the childhood of a culture. uChildren liked chapbooks; most were folk tales. uGrimms' tales translated for kids in 1823 in illustrated version—German Popular Stories. uWhy it's popular for modern picture books: no known author. Illustrator can do whatever he/she wants with the material; no royalties to share with author. uCaldecott Award has favored picture books based on folk tales and nursery rhymes.

Why doesn't the U.S. have a strong fantasy tradition?

•Because immigration murdered fantasy. •The American mindset has not been friendly to fantasy. •Americans are pragmatic people—a how-to kind of folk. •The early periods of American literature stressed realism and naturalism, neither of which is open to fantasy. •The closest we come is the tall tale, which really makes fun of the fantasy elements.

List two of the trials a hero may face on the Road of Trials.

•Brother Battle: Many heroes find themselves locked in battle, either physical or psychological with someone who is a "brother" whether a blood relation or a symbolic brother. •Dragon Battle: Some heroes will battle literal dragons guarding their treasure, but other heroes will battle their inner dragons, the doubts and fears they have about their own ability. Whether literal or figurative, the dragons must be slain in order for the hero to complete the journey.

List three things that are necessary to create a fantasy tradition.

•Strong tradition of myth, legend, and folktale. •A geography where supernatural beings can live comfortably. •Cultural history—one group of people staying in one place for a long time so that stories can take root and grow. •Writers willing to tell it straight—no skepticism, winks, jokes, but magic accepted as real. •Readers willing to believe in the magic.

Name a hero from Celtic legend.

King Arthur, St. Patrick

How did the term "fairy tale" originate?

Marie-Catherine d'Aulnoy uWhen she termed her works contes de fée (fairy tales), she originated the term.

List the titles of two Chrestomanci books.

"Charmed Life" "Witch Week"

Name two fantasies by George MacDonald.

"The Princes and the Goblin" "Lilith"

List the five original stages of the monomyth.

(1) a call to adventure, which the hero has to accept or decline, (2) a road of trials, regarding which the hero succeeds or fails, (3) achieving the goal or "boon," which often results in important self-knowledge, (4) a return to the ordinary world, again as to which the hero can succeed or fail, (5) application of the boon, in which the hero uses the boon to improve the world.

What are the characteristics of fairy tales?

1.Characters tend to be stereotypes. Character may represent an emotion or quality, like the Brave Little Tailor. 2.Setting is geographically vague, unlike myth and legend, which have national geography. 3.Conventional structure and plot. Starts straight out with little background: there once was a king and he had three sons. Small and powerless hero outwits big and powerful enemy and wins a reward—usually the hand of a princess or prince. 4.Significant numbers, especially 3 in Western fairy tales; also 7. 5.Magical or supernatural characters (witches, trolls, giants), objects (magic rings, seven-league boots), and events (spells and transformations). 6.Repeated phrases (because of oral transmission). Fee fi fo fum. 7.Graphic violence. 8.If the tale is from Germany, strange things happen when someone goes into the woods.

What are the characteristics of dark fantasy?

1.Set in Otherworld (i.e. Secondary World). [Supernatural fiction, on the other hand, tends to be set in the mundane world—the natural world we live in.] 2.No happy ending.

What are the characteristics of high fantasy?

1.Setting is pre-industrial Secondary World. 2.Epic battle between good and evil with the fate of the entire world at stake. 3.Great heroes and small, unexpected ones. 4.Evil villains—Dark Lords, like Sauron. 5.Supernatural beings like elves, dwarves, trolls, dragons. 6.Magic, usually performed by wizards. 7.Invented cultures and languages (optional). 8.A quest. 9.Eucatastrophe—the sudden turn of events at the end of a story which ensure that the protagonist does not meet some terrible, impending, and very plausible doom.

List three themes found in post-World War 2 children's fantasy.

1.Worlds in miniature 2.Secret gardens or secret worlds 3.Time fantasies 4.Otherworlds and alternate worlds 5.Wish fulfillment 6.Animal fantasies 7.Arthurian stories

Name two heroes from The Arabian Nights.

Aladdin, Ali Baba

List two ancient or medieval texts that have been called fairy tales.

Ancient Egyptian tale "The Two Brothers" Gesta Romanorum (13th or 14th century AD)—

Why does Bilbo steal the Arkenstone?

Bilbo originally takes the Arkenstone because it is beautiful, and he decides that it will be his share of the treasure. Bilbo felt that stealing the Arkenstone made him a true burglar...... he felt that keeping it was justified as it was promised that he could pick and choose his own share of the treasure. He hid the stone because he knew he was doung wrong.

How does Bilbo save the dwarves from spiders?

Bilbo, invisible because he's wearing the ring throws rocks at the spiders and leads them away. He then returns to where the dwarves are hanging and cuts them free.

Name three popular fantasy series.

Discworld, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings books

What deal does Ged make with the dragon of Pendor?

Ged resists the temptation and defeats the dragon by using the dragon's true name, Yevaud. Ged knew that name from reading old legends about dragons. Since Ged knows Yevaud's true name, Ged gets the dragon to promise to never fly to the other islands. And Yevaud never does (5.91).

What aspects of the traditional fairy tale does The Princess Bride parody?

Goldman was definitely able to intertwine a "fairy-tale "element into this story. In almost every sing fair tale I have ever read there is a [princess and most often she is the most gorgeous, wealthiest, and most respected person in all the lands because obviously the princess is well liked and in most cases she is rescued by her lovely "prince Charming" Well in this novel, The Princess Bride there is an "inversion" and al of this is turned upside down. At first the so called "editor" William Goldman explains buttercup is rather the opposite, Yes, "announcing it as she slowly works her way up" (sjcoyle). I strongly agree with what sjcoyle has said.Just as Goldman has tricked us into believing that he is the author of this book, he has tricked us yet again. And he has trapped us into his unique type of writing and his writing skills that make for this "inversion". I have noticed that Goldman is a special kind of writer that always has unique ideas to make his writing stand above others. And No, this is not a bad thing it makes the reading experience mush more enjoyable.Other "inversions" in this book are that Westley is said to be living, then dies, and then lives again, etc. because in most fairytales the prince comes to the rescue and even though he often experiences 'bumps in the road" they don't usually die. I really enjoyed reading The Princess Bride! An element of the fairy tale that Goldman inverts in the Princess Bride is the "happily ever after" ending. In the book, Buttercup's horse looses a shoe, Indigo is bleeding to death, Weastly just died, and Fezik gets them lost. All the while, the imperial troops are gaining and will be for the rest of their lives. Not really your classic fairytale ending. I think he did this because as he says throughout the book, life isn't fair. He would be a hypocrite if he said otherwise.

How did fairy tales become respectable?

Grimms gathered the oral tales with academic notes, but English translation was an illustrated children's edition. When fairy tales for kids started gaining respectability, children's fantasy was able to develop. The first children's fantasies were presented as literary fairy tales and were often quite moral.

Name a hero from Greek legend.

Hercules, Odysseus

Who is Baba Yaga?

In Slavic myths, Baba Yaga is the wild woman or dark lady of magic and in Russian folklore there are many stories about her. ... The word Baba can mean any woman old enough to marry. In the stories, however, Baba-Yaga is often described as a frightening, wild, old witch with a terrible appetite for eating people.

Give the title of the first full-length American fantasy.

The Garden Behind the Moon (1895) Howard Pyle

Who was "Aunt Nancy"?

an older woman slave who could fool the white masters.

List three well-known tales collected by the Brothers Grimm.

Rapunzel, Sleeping beauty, Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood

List four types of fantasy.

animal fantasy, dark fantasy, high fantasy, intrusive fantasy

List two kinds of editorial changes the Brothers Grimm made to their fairy tale collection between the first edition and the seventh edition.

made evil mothers evil stepmothers, added violence, included only in german language and only full german stories

What does Lady Serret want from Ged?

Serret keeps telling him that it's not evil and can help him defeat the shadow. She also admits that the guy who met Ged on Orrimy was actually sent by her. Serret tries to convince Ged that the Terrenon isn't evil, that Ged needs the power of darkness to defeat the shadow, and that they can rule the world with the power of the Terrenon

How does Lady Una meet the requirements to end her time as a slave?

She'll get to be free eventually, though, "on the day when the moon loses her daughter, if that occurs in a week when two Mondays come together"

Why does Prince Humperdinck want to marry Buttercup?

Since Humperdinck demands to marry a beautiful wife and therefore cannot possibly marry a bald woman, Count Rugen takes him to find Buttercup, who agrees to marry him only after he threatens to kill her if she refuses.

Why do Ged and Jasper hate each other?

Since he hails from a very wealthy family, he maybe looks down on Ged - or, at least, Ged thinks Jasper looks down on him. Check out their first meeting again: Jasper doesn't seem so nice, but Ged seems pretty rude, too, so it's not surprising that Jasper is rude right back. It's true that, later, Jasper becomes more condescending towards Ged, but it seems like there's the possibility that that first meeting could've gone differently if Ged weren't so proud.

List three of Hans Christian Andersen's best known fairy tales.

The Little Mermaid, Thumbelina, The Ugly Duckling

What are the characteristics of Sword and Sorcery?

The poor man's high fantasy. Swashbuckling heroes having adventures in fantasy lands, usually secondary worlds. Hero generally has no magic powers. His antagonists often do, so sometimes he has to outwit them rather than overpower them. Lots of action, particularly battles. In some stories, gods of various kinds take a hand in events.

Why do people and creatures in the faerie world help Tristran?

They know he is the heir to the Stormhold throne, so they protect him and ensure his safety bc they want a new ruler

What is the dwarves' overall mission in The Hobbit?

Thorin Oakenshield is a dwarf on a mission. His goal is to regain the Arkenstone back from the evil dragon Smaug, who has taken over his family home, the Lonely Mountain. He struggles with his sanity but comes back to fight for Middle Earth.

Why does Granny Weatherwax move time ahead by fifteen years?

To speed up time so Tomjon could hold the throne and save the hurting earth and kingdom

What is the earliest known book of nursery rhymes?

Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book, Vol. 2 (1744)

What is a hobbit?

a member of a fictitious peaceful and genial race of small humanlike creatures that dwell underground

List three character archetypes associated with the hero's journey.

ally, hero, shapeshifter, shadow, trickster, princess

List three types of folk tales.

fairy tales, trickster tales, tall tales

Why is June 1997 important in the history of fantasy?

fantasy received its literary crown and is now ruler of the world.

Why was fantasy ostracized in the U.S. after 1957?

fantasy was ostracized in favor of realistic literature because of Sputnik.