How does Tolkien (1964) define fantasy? Compare and contrast this to the other definitions from last week’s reader?
In the reading materials, On Fairy-stories, Tolkien talked about the relation between art and imagination before he actually described term fantasy. He used an interesting word to say the purpose of using the term fantasy, which was “to arrogate to the powers of Humpty-Dumpty.” Fantasy is the word to “combine with the older and higher use as an equivalent of imagination the derived notions of ‘unreality’ and of freedom from the domination of observed ‘fact.’ Namely, Tolkien regarded fantasy as an art using imagination the older and higher than the fairy-story. Moreover, Tolkien analyzed the definition of fantasy in different arts areas such as drama Macbeth and example of human language, “the green sun.” To my understanding, Tolkien’s definition relies on the word “imagination, delusion and hallucination.” The position of this point is based on his own opinions of Fairy-stories and myth.
Taking a look of the definition of Attebery, which is from week 2’s reader, he use the sentence, “prose narratives evoking wonder through the consistent treatment of the impossible as though it were possible”, to describe fantasy. We can see the distinct point of views. I mean they are trying to explain the same word, but the way they achieve is different. Attebery inferred that fantasy is a kind of literacy article and it uses a common skill that is about treatment of impossible. Focusing on “impossible and possible”, I think it is far away from the Tolkien’s “imagination level.”
Tolkien, J.R.R. (1988; 1964). On Faerie Stories. In Tree and Leaf.London: Unwin Hyman.
Attebery, B. (1980). The Fantasy Tradition In American Literature: From Irving to Le Guin. Bloomington: Indian Univerdity press.
According to Lent (2000), what place does animation occupy in Asian societies? How different is this across Asia (ie comparing China and Japan)?
According to Lent, animation in Asian societies is on the important position in media and industry. The audience of animation in Asian is growing slowly and so does the animation industry in Asian. Both animation outsourcing industry and indigenous animation industry enhanced peacefully with growing needs of marketing of animation. Lent also mentioned that animation in China, Vietnam and the Philippines have political elements.
There is one sentence in Lent’s article showing the differences clearly, which is “the Chinese, perhaps more than any other Asian animators save those of Japan, were insistent on adapting only those elements of foreign animation that fit their culture, never favouring full adoption.” The Chinese insisted in producing the animation with Chinese traditional elements. And also, animation in China is a sort of production to protect the image of Chinese government. The culture and history are the deterministic reason of the differences whatever the stories of animation or the styles of the animation.
Lent, J. A. (2000, November 01). Animation in Asia: appropriation, reinterpretation, and adoption or adaptation. La Trobe University, Australia. Retrieved from http://www.latrobe.edu.au/screeningthepast/firstrelease/fr1100/jlfr11c.htm
Actually the number of animation viewers is increasing very quickly in the last decade, but it is still stand out of the mainstream place. Compared with Japanese culture, the main reason may be china is even more complicated and higher cultural country with long history than Japan, somehow it may cause the cultural conflict and crash very strong.
ReplyDeleteOn the one hand unlike Japan, graphic novels, or cartoons are not the main industry in china. On the other hand, Japanese animation in china is popular by lots of kids and teenagers, and some of them are addicted in it. This somehow makes those parents feel like the animation influence their kids very badly.
"Actually the number of animation viewers is increasing very quickly in the last decade, but it is still stand out of the mainstream place." this sentence refers China, just forget mention it lol
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting how Tolkien views fantasy in contrast to Attebery's perspective. When it comes down to it, I think it just depends on a person's imagination and where they're drawing from to make their own interpretation of how fantasy works.
ReplyDeleteI've noticed you only mentioned Chinese use of animation - that's it's used for propaganda purposes but I guess that's based on their political system...in other words, it's pretty much monitored by the government.
ReplyDeleteYou didn't really mention the contrast to Japan's use of anime....so you're saying that it's less restricted by government intervention like in China? I think it lies in the flexibility of Japan's pop culture to accept the creativity that's presented by Japanese animators. Like China though, it reflects cultural ideologies that's relevant to their ways of life.