Fantasy Literature

Challenging Genres

Series: 

Volume Editor:
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.

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Introduction
Challenging Fantasy Literature
Pages: 1–9
In the Shadow of the Status Quo
The Forgotten in The Lord of the Rings and A Song of Ice and Fire
Pages: 11–26
The Wizards Beneath
Finding Plato and Freud in Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Tombs of Atuan
Pages: 27–40
You’re a Prince, Harry
The Politics of Oppression and Self-Interest in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter Series
Pages: 41–55
Strong Women in Fairy Tales Existed Long Before Frozen
Teaching Gender Studies via Folklore
Pages: 77–92
From Fledgling to Buffy
Critical Literacy, Fantasy, and Engagement in Secondary ELA Classrooms
Pages: 93–107
Depictions of Social Class in Newbery-Winning Fantasies
A Critical Literacy Approach
Pages: 123–137
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
Pages: 139–154
Seeing Harry as an At-Risk Student
Critical Literacy, Cultural Capital, and the Wizarding World
Pages: 173–187
Magical Objects in Fantasy
A Multicultural Examination
Pages: 189–202
Critical Literacy in Inquiry Learning
Perspective Sharing through Multiple Literacies, Continuous Inquiry, and Reflection
Pages: 203–216
“Bruce Banner can be an Asshole”
Using a FanFic to Break Down Privilege and Introduce Service-Learning Concepts
Pages: 217–230
Author Biographies
Pages: 231–233
Educational Researchers and their students
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