How does the fantasy genre relate to modern media such as video games?
In terms of representation, Burn talks about how we as readers have our own perceptions or expectations of what a hero is. With a sequence taken from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, he analyses Harry potters’ actions and compares them with other media (film and game).
Our expectations of a hero aren’t met by Harry Potter in this sequence because all he did was spin around “...he reached for his wand...he tried to stand...diving into the back seat...” Burn (2005) Therefore, these actions don’t complete the function of a hero! The real hero in this case is Ford Anglia (the car), of this Burn says “the real hero of the episode...is the Ford Anglia, which is responsible for the sounding of ‘a loud, long note’ and the flaming of a ‘blaze of light’; which thunders down the slope, knocks spiders out of the way” Burn (2005).
In relation to the game, Harry Potter is more heroic because he has to fight off Aragog and her children that is of course if the player has the skills to do so. So in my opinion if you lose the game or the level you’re on, Harry Potter basically becomes a weakling, whereas if you win, he meets our expectations of a hero from our playing abilities/skills.
Burn also talks about how grammar relates to both fantasy genre (narrative terms) and video games. For narrative terms you have the text there for you to read, but in game terms, the control keys are literally its grammar. “In narrative terms, this might seem profoundly impoverished; but in game terms, it is entirely normal to work with a ‘restricted language’... and the pleasure lies in the skill of the player to deploy those resources well to meet the challenges of the game”. Burn (2005)
Why does the religious right in the US condemn fantasy, according to Cockrell (2004)?
There are many religions that have their own differences on what may be considered fantasy. Some of these religions have started warning parents through the internet of some of the dangers this series of Harry Potter books could do to their children. For example, Cockrell (2005) states that “In 2001, exposingsatanism.org saw a satanic “S” in Harry’s scar” he also draw from another website that says “Harry Potter books encourage children to be rebel against their parents, to question their values and to assume power for themselves”.
Reference List
Burn, A. (2005). Potter-Literacy – from book to game and back again; literature, film, game and cross-media literacy. Papers: Explorations into Children’s Literature Vol 14, No 3.
Cockrell, A. (2004). Harry Potter and the Witch Hunters: a social context for the attacks on Harry Potter. The Journal of American Culture, Vol 29, No 1.
Hi Samantha,
ReplyDeleteA good post here, wll done!
Remember to have a look at other people's posts too, and make some comments in you can.
It is interesting how thw player's involvement in a game changes the nature of the Harry Potter character. Do you think he is a waekling, outside of the sequence you mention? What about Ged in Earthsea? Is he a hero? (Why? Why not?) What do you personally think about the way the US religious right have condemned Rowling's writing?
Yrt to add more of your own point of view in answering the set questions - good luck!
Esther :)
Using same example as me, Harry Potter!:D Maybe in the fantasy genre, Harry Potter is one of the most famous works. As you mentioned, people could feel like a hero and fulfil our expectations while playing the games. Are there any other popular fantasy genres in your country? In my country, for example, there was another huge boom of Twilight series. I think it approaches the unrealistic happening that is why people are more easily attracted and interested in the fantasy story than other genres.
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