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FINAL Current Developments at the Intersection of British Children ONLINE VERSION
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- 4.2.3 Evaluation
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In Foreman’s Keepers and Seekers series, good and evil adhere to traditional concepts at first sight. Yet, like the Malfoys, Odin and his minions deviate from them in several ways. Firstly, they are blond and have blue eyes. Furthermore, they seem to have eternal life and, throughout history, are always on the highest technological level as far as their weapons are concerned. Although their goal, world dominion, is a traditional one, their means are not: New high-tech weapons render them invincible, which aggravates the treat. In Pullman’s His Dark Materials, evil is shown as being ambiguous. Whereas the Oblation Board and Father Gomez correspond to traditional roles of evil, Lord Asriel and Mrs 75 David Almond. Clay. London: Hodder Children’s Books, 2006. [2005] 108 Coulter are highly complex characters who have various facets, just like the heroes Lyra and Will. Here, the dissolution of borders becomes apparent again. An increasing number of villains can no longer be judged as either fully good or fully evil. Rather, villains and heroes alike distinguish themselves by complex, three-dimensional characters that do no longer permit sweeping judgement. It can be observed that the younger the date of the publication, the more refined and intricate the composition of the characters, villains and heroes alike, becomes. Roles of good and evil merge. 76 4.2.3 Evaluation Current British fantasy novels for children cover the entire spectrum of available roles of evil. The traditional villain is still a widely accepted since well-tried concept, since its frequent and long-term use has the advantage of being a familiar and “safe” since unerring element of narration due to its clear outlines. Current traditional roles of evil therefore take their place in a long genealogy of villains. In spite of the mentioned merits, a major disadvantage has crystallised though: With both his external and internal features ossified into restricted, two-dimensional and general stereotypes, the concept of the traditional villain is prone to repetition and stagnation. Progress, by contrast, in form of changes and innovations, allows for development and creativity. Spurred by the challenge, the majority of the corpus authors thus take a sincere interest in dynamic new roles of evil. Whereas the aims of the villain might not have changed too much, 77 his personality certainly has. As the examination of the corpus novels revealed, a clear trend can be discerned in British children’s fantasy. There exists a decisive movement away from traditional two-dimensionality, tainted with flatness of character and often cliché- laden, towards a complex and psychologically demanding three-dimensionality of the villain. With the villain as well as the hero developing complex since multi-layered personalities, 78 their conventional transparency is clouded by the emerging ambiguities and inconsistencies for which there is now room. More enigmatic, the character of the villain gains in attraction. In their quality as counterbalance to the hero, the villains are indispensable for the equilibrium of the two forces. Ever since, personifications in form of a specific villain 76 The analysis of such ambiguous characters must be subject of future studies, as it is far too extensive for the present study. 77 More often than not, the representatives of evil strive for absolute power, its attainment, stabilisation and expansion either on a micro scale (i.e. regional) or macro scale (i.e. world domination) and/ or immortality. 78 For the development of the hero in current British fantasy for children see chapter 5.4. 109 have provided the required plasticity for the impersonal and abstract overall concept of evil. Individual adaptations over time, concerning political or social situations and the zeitgeist of the different periods, may be made, yet the concept of a tangible representative of evil remains universal. Especially in times of global terror, which has reached new, so far unknown dimensions, one feels an even stronger need to pinpoint the aggressors of impersonal and abstract violence. In real life as well as in literature arises the need to channel one’s feelings. For this purpose, a concrete threat in form of individual persons is identified, who then give terror a face. Naturally, these developments do not leave British fantasy for children untouched. In the aftermath of the 11 th of September 2001 humanity has lost its basic trust as well as its sense of security. It goes without saying that these far-reaching developments make themselves felt in children’s fantasy. A case in point is for instance Rowling’s Harry Potter. Not without reason does the series drift towards an atmosphere of gloom and doom, heralding a last battle reminiscent of Lewis’ ending of The Chronicles of Narnia, conceived after the traumatic experience of the Second World War. The world is at stake, not just for adults but also for children. It would appear that in the future terror and its dangers will influence the shaping and confrontation with evil decisively. Parallel to its dynamic development in reality, literary evil will eventually shift from its selective, either regionally or temporally limited, often isolated occurrence towards a more general and seemingly more timeless phenomenon. Accordingly, its new roles will involve threats on a global rather than a more individual scale. From the point of view of its magnitude and implications for humanity, new roles of evil in children’s fantasy will orientate themselves even stronger at models and panoramas that Tolkien or Le Guin have drawn. 79 Thus, the topic focuses increasingly on recurrent or resident evil. Its challenge consists of a new slipperiness caused by its strong, paralysing since overpowering presence. The latter either results from its numerical superiority or from the abnormal power of a single individual. Also, threats to humanity in form of political or social terror or ecological catastrophes range among potential roles of evil. With the menace becoming universal, resistance must adapt to this new situation. The hero, instead of remaining largely a single combatant, has to organise and mobilise a group of allies. Just as the trauma of evil is a global one, its digestion is, too. 79 In The Lord of the Rings and Earthsea respectively. |
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