J. R. R. Tolkien (1964) discusses and defines fantasy by highlighting the word imagination as a source of empowering the mind to challenge reality. According to Tolkien (1964), fantasy is difficult to achieve because it is sub-creative and it requires the consistency of the inner reality; which is hard to generate. Moreover, fantasy sometimes stays undeveloped as it may be taken seriously or it is there just for the decoration. Furthermore, picturing or imagining it is not enough; the reason being is that it is difficult to produce such art as it requires special skills and talent (for example, Peter Jackson’s adaption of Lord of the rings series), when these are achieved, they are considered as a great accomplishment. Therefore, Tolkien (1964) states fantasy is best perceived when it is in a written narrative form as a literature.
In contrary, Attebery (1980) states that any narrative is fantasy as long it achieves and captivates the impossibility to a possibility, in another words “an overt violation of what is generally accepted as possibility” (W.R. Irwin). Furthermore, Attebery (1980) highlights that is all dependant on the characteristics, whilst Tolkien (1964) highlights imagination as a vital feature of fantasy. For example Tolkien (1964) explains fantasy is best in true words of literature as it does not limit our imagination because when an image is presented to us; it easy as it does not challenge our minds intellectually.
They may perceive fantasy differently in a sense of features, but in the end the conclusion is that fantasy is the belief of a secondary life, an impossible reality, critically and intellectually challenging, , beyond our imagination, a make belief, when it achieves these then I believe it can be called Fantasy.
Reference:
Tolkein, J.R.R. (1964). On Faerie Stories: In Tree and Leaf.
London:Unwin Hyman.
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