Introduction:
We’ve
arrived at week five, where the theme is fantasy. Right up my alley!
This was the week I was looking forward to the most over the last
couple of weeks as the fantasy genre is something I read the most.
I’ve decided to read the Hobbit this week, as it is the book I feel
the most passionate about.
First
thoughts/impressions:
As
I said, I was really excited to read this week’s book (The Hobbit)
as I had already seen the movie. At first glance it is quite a big
book, but you blaze through it in hours. It is such a fantastic read.
The world created by J.R.R. Tolkien is one that will stick with us
for many years to come and in my opinion can be seen as one of the
most influential books/movies of our generation.
The
Hobbit follows the journey of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins as he fights,
explores and conquers his way towards a share of the treasure guarded
by the dragon, Smaug. The journey takes us from the homestead of the
Hobbits to lush forests inhabited by mountain giants and dungeons
with goblins and trolls. Throughout this adventure he learns a lot
from his companions, Gandalf and the dwarves. They can offer him
wisdom, maturity and competence which he would have never achieved
had he stayed behind in Hobbiton.
The
detail with which Tolkien describes the vibrant world is
extraordinary. It invoked a similar feeling within me as I had with
the Harry Potter world where I felt completely transported into the
book. It feels like you are walking along with Bilbo throughout his
journey and you experience similar emotions. The escape from the
trolls, the character of Gollum and the ever lingering presence of
the dragon are just some of the elements in the book that represent a
gripping atmosphere and it just makes you want to read more and more.
I
am already in the process of trying to make this book a mandatory
read for the students throughout their high school. I feel it is such
a fantastic book that can be read by such a wide range of ages and is
already widely accepted as great literature that it would be a shame
to not include it in the curriculum. If I had to pin it to a certain
age range I would go with 11+. "Young adult literature should
have an intriguing character, a meaningful plot, a captivating
setting, an appropriate theme and an accessible style".
(complete reader, 2013, p. 21). The characters are not only
intriguing but also very relatable. We’ve all had moments where we
would just want to leave everything behind and go on an adventure
just like Bilbo. The setting is nothing short of genius, the theme of
friendship, courage and adventure is something I personally enjoy a
lot but I think children of 11+ would enjoy as well. Furthermore,
I feel fantasy is a gateway into a realm of endless possibilities for
children. “Fantasy is vital for the human
mind. It begins as the psychological process by which a child learns
to fill the gaps between knowledge, reality and experience, and
becomes a vital adult coping mechanism.” (Webb,
2007)
Class
discussion:
This
week's discussion mostly involved the topics of “bursting our
bubble” with the 5 steps every fantasy novel goes through, and the
similarities between the books. The 5 steps of the fantasy novel were
“The Call”, “The Journey”, “Obstacles”, “Final Ordeals”
and “The Goal”. Jerry didn't agree with this at all (actually, a
few loud people in the back didn't) and voiced his opinion about the
fact that this is pretty much the same five steps for all of the
movies in theater today. I agree with him on the fact that fantasy
books (like the hobbit) don't rely on these steps too heavily because
that's not what the books are about. To
quote the great Dr. Seuss:“Fantasy
is a necessary ingredient in living, it's a way of looking at life
through the wrong end of a telescope.” (Morgan
J, Morgan N, 1996)We
also discussed the similarities between the books and I was
definitely surprised at some of the insightful answers which I'm
still thinking about while writing this blog. Some mentioned that all
the characters in the three books of today have some kind of
emotional journey where they need to figure out who they are and
ultimately have a revelation. The obstacles (both emotional and
physical), while not literally the same, definitely have some
similarities in the way that the characters need to overcome these
obstacles in order to progress. And lastly, all three books of today
had a good balance of strangeness and familiarity so they don't stray
too far into the realm of weirdness or stay behind in a rut of
boredom that we are too familiar with.
Interesting
theories/information:
Tolkien
was a WWI veteran. He lost most of his childhood friends in battle.
He was hired in 1918 to work on the Oxford English Dictionary. When
Tolkien’s son Michael entered the army he listed his father’s
profession on his paperwork as “Wizard.” Maybe he has more in
common with his father than he thinks.
Sources:
Webb,
Beth (2007) The
real purpose of fantasy.
Retrieved on the 17th
of October, from
http://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2007/apr/23/bridgingthegapswhyweneed
Complete
reader (2013, p21), Youth Literature
Morgan,
Neil & Morgan, Judith (1996) Dr.
Seuss and Mr. Geisel: A Biography (1st
ed.) Cambridge Massachusetts Da
Capo Press
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