Blog Fantasy
Post 3 - The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
Why is one drawn to Fantasy Worlds? What properties or qualities do these worlds posses that make them so captivating to one?
A journey is one of the properties that Fantasy Worlds posses. In The Hobbit, by JRR Tolkien, Bilbo, the protagonist goes on a journey with a party of dwarves to obtain riches. According to How to Read Literature Like a Professor, by Thomas C. Foster, “Every Trip Is a Quest” (How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Foster 1). Foster also says that every journey is meant to be a quest for self-knowledge. This can be seen in The Hobbit, as Bilbo and his companions say that they felt “that the adventure was far more dangerous than they had thought, while all the time, even if they passed all the perils of the road, the dragon was waiting in the end” (The Hobbit, Tolkien 133). In these lines, Bilbo explains the danger of the road ahead of him. As the book goes on, Bilbo gains the respect of dwarves as well as self-respect by enduring the harsh challenges of his journey. Therefore, Bilbo gains a sense of self-knowledge by learning about his own strengths during the course of his quest.
What makes these properties or qualities so captivating?
The thing that makes Fantasy World journeys so interesting is the fact that it allows one to experience a grand scenario without having to physically be there. One is able to gain the sense of the self-knowledge that the quester in a Fantasy World experiences without having to literally be the character. A Fantasy World journey is so interesting to one, because it allows a reader to experience the adventure vicariously.
What separates a Fantasy World from the real world?
The obvious difference is that a Fantasy World has the elements of a realistic world as well as the elements of an unrealistic world. On the other hand, a realistic world is bound by limits cast by the laws of Physics, Thermodynamics, etc. In terms of journeys, the realistic world’s journeys are limited to the possibilities of reality. The journeys of a Fantasy World are literally limitless. Therefore fantasy worlds are not bound to reality like the real world.
A limitless quest for self-knowledge, therefore, is a quality that The Lord of the Rings has that draws one to its Fantasy World.
Vicarious Journey
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1 comment:
Timmy: I just noticed this but I like how your blogs have been consistent of three main questions. Each varies and displays how you are able to give different examples from the novel to answer the same question seen throughout the 3 blogs. I thought the idea of a journey and a characters self-quest was a great characteristic of what makes a fantasy world captivating. In many novels and even movies today, the character is always depicted from having a very high or low status. The entire journey is their internal struggle and eventually achievement of how they overcame the troubles of their quest. I agree with the fact that people enjoy quests because they are able to experience it second hand. Good job! Good blog.
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