Microsoft Word final-current Developments at the Intersection of British Children-online-version doc

5.2.1
 
Structure and function of primary and secondary worlds 
In British fantasy novels for children primary and secondary worlds play an important 
role. In many novels it is against a relatively stable background of a real world that the heroes 
are introduced and initially portrayed, before further events lead them to one or more 
secondary realms and, in most cases, eventually back to their real world. This tripartite, 
cyclical arranging of events in different levels and worlds (i.e. primary > secondary > 
primary) corresponds to and mirrors the three phases of the heroes’ quest.
Novels which feature such a tripartite structure parallel to that of the quest set out 
from a primary world in which the laws of nature and society either closely match or are 
identical with our own reality. Exceptions like Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy surprise 
the reader with their unexpected reversal of both worlds through subjective perception. By not 
complying with the norm, such novels achieve a far stronger effect. “Regular” fantasy novels 
for children rely on the primary, “home” > secondary “there” > primary “and back again” 
structure that facilitates the introduction of the main characters in a relatively familiar 
environment. From this normality they set out into the unknown secondary world where 
fantastic adventures take place, strange creatures are met and magic is encountered. The 
sometimes strong discrepancy between primary and secondary world causes a momentary 
uprooting and deep sense of insecurity for the hero who has to re-orientate himself and cope 
with the new situation. Starting out from a familiar background may lead to an abrupt rupture 
during and immediately after the transition, but it also ensures that fantastic events and beings 
are limited to the level of the secondary world. If they can be befriended, the latter might 
follow the hero back to the primary world. However, this step is not indispensable. It can be 
observed that in many cases it suffices to sketch the structure of the primary world in outline, 
since it is more or less identical to the reader’s own reality. The secondary world, by contrast, 
requires considerably more detail and explanation, as it is entirely new for the hero and has 
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yet to be explored. Therefore, the structure of the primary world in British fantasy novels for 
children tends to match the hierarchies and issues of our own, whereas the structure of the 
secondary world is left to the imagination of the respective author as well as the specific 
requirements for the otherness of its setting.
Novels consisting only of a single, fantastic secondary world turn it into the primary 
world for the characters. If this is the case, then details about and explanations of the various 
institutions, beings, elements and laws of nature are of great importance because such a world 
frequently differs strongly from the reader’s reality. Still, the otherness does not apply to all 
aspects. A venture of this complexity would be far too costly in respect of the time it would 
take the author to create it and also in respect of the many volumes this would fill.
As we have already mentioned, the function of primary and secondary worlds in 
fantasy novels for children is to provide the background for the story being told. It depends on 
the weight that the author attaches to these worlds and their detail to what extent they can 
influence, support and explain the events. As a rule, the more complex the worlds, the more 
closely entwined they and the characters are. In current British fantasy novels for children, the 
scope comprises worlds with just a hint of otherness in the form of some special feature(s), 
such as Skellig, Clay, Doctor Illuminatus or Switchers, worlds which show a balanced mixture 
between familiar and new, such as Harry Potter, Artemis Fowl, Bartimaeus or The Keys to the 
Kingdom
, and those which surprise the reader with a wealth of original
characteristic features 
like The Lord of the Rings or The Edge Chronicles.