Flo Keyes

The Literature of Hope in the Middle Ages and Today

Connections in Medieval Romance, Modern Fantasy, and Science Fiction

• Broschiertes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

The influence of medieval literature is instantly apparent in modern fantasy literature, where knights and wizards populate castle-strewn landscapes. Less obvious but still recognizable is the influence in science fiction, which draws on medieval story structure and themes. Beyond these superficial similarities, deeper connections become evident through an analysis of the literature's social function. Like the fantasy and science fiction of today, the romances of the Middle Ages were written in times of extreme and prolonged social upheaval. In all three genres, the storytellers draw on the same archetypes--the hero, the quest, the transformation--for stories whose goal is to provide hope. Using Jungian theory and comparative analysis, this book explores the connections between the three genres. It finds common ground among them in plots that often reflect the recurring cycle of life and the elements of psychological rather than literal realism. Representative texts such as Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur, the Witch World series by Andre Norton and More Than Human by Theodore Sturgeon are examined in depth, and the use of archetypes in each is thoroughly explored. Analysis reveals similarities in images, structures, and the pervasive belief that a perfectible universe is within man's capabilities--if not now, then someday.

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: McFarland and Company, Inc.
• Seitenzahl: 206
• Erscheinungstermin: 17. März 2006
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 229mm x 152mm x 12mm
• Gewicht: 343g
• ISBN-13: 9780786425969
• ISBN-10: 0786425962
• Artikelnr.: 21130582

Autorenporträt

Flo Keyes is an assistant professor in the English department at Castleton State College in Castleton, Vermont. She lives in Poultney, Vermont.

Inhaltsangabe

Table of Contents
Preface     
Introduction     
1. In Pursuit of the Elusive Literary Definition     
2. What Need of a Candle Unless It Is Dark     
3. Pawns in the Game of Kings     
4. Five Centuries Later, Still Looking for the Light     
5. The Hero     
6. Lights, Camera, Action     
7. Archetypes, or Why Does This Seem Familiar?     
8. There and Back Again: The Archetypal Journey     
9. Will Wonders Never Cease?     
10. And a Little Child Shall Lead Them     
11. The Voice of Experience: The Wise Old Man     
12. Cutting the Apron Strings: The Great Mother     
13. Phoenix from the Ashes: The Transformation     
14. A Light in the Darkness     
15. Hope Springs Eternal     
Bibliography     
Index