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FINAL Current Developments at the Intersection of British Children ONLINE VERSION
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- 4.1.4 High-tech magic
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trilogy. 25 In the style of Ende’s The Neverending Story, the main characters of Funke’s trilogy travel between a literary secondary realm and a realistic primary world. A 22 Garth Nix. The Keys to the Kingdom. Mister Monday, Grim Tuesday, Drowned Wednesday, Sir Thursday, Lady Friday , Superior Saturday and Lord Sunday London: HaperCollins Children’s Books, 2004-2009.] 23 Nix, Sir Thursday, p. 261. 24 Ibd., p. 271. 25 Cornelia Funke. Tintenherz. Hamburg: Dressler, 2003; Cornelia Funke. Tintenblut. Hamburg: Dressler, 2005; Cornelia Funke. Tintentod. Hamburg: Dressler, 2007. 89 story literally comes to life when the characters appear in the fictitious reader’s world and vice versa; thus intensifying the magical traits of the fantastic beings. Whereas Funke’s concept of a fictional cross of fantasy and reality is not unprecedented, her characters are originals. 4.1.4 High-tech magic As we have seen, the juxtaposition and/ or combination of traditional elements with innovations are widespread and popular phenomena of modern British fantasy for children. Above, the general outlines of both traditional and modern magic, the use of traditional fairy tale elements as well as the contact with fantastic or magical creatures in modern novels were subjects of our analysis. In the following, a further interesting aspect of developments shall be examined: Magic in use. On the basis of selected examples we will inquire into the nature of technology and its compatibility with magic. 26 In this respect, Rowling’s Harry Potter heptalogy sheds light on the junction between conservative magic and its modern interpretation. In its role as a mediator between the two approaches, Harry Potter depicts two seemingly independent parallel societies. The non- magical one operates with the help of technology, whereas the wizarding community relies on its magic potential. Both function in their individual ways and have only few points of contact. On the rare occasion, contact is established through the wizards’ initiative. Frequent and intense cross-border traffic sets in with Harry Potter’s evacuation into the non-magical world. This has far-reaching implications; involving breaches of the respective borders and direct confrontations of the two societies. 27 The main characters Harry, Ron and Hermione embody these cross-border contacts in various stages. Born and bred wizard Ron is slowly introduced to the ways and technological achievements of the non-magical society through his contact to Harry and Hermione. In return, Ron helps Harry and Hermione to gain a foothold in the wizarding world. Ambassadors of their respective societies, the three children depend on mutual help and 26 As a result, this approach therefore excludes inevitably and explicitly those novels which voluntarily confine themselves to traditional elements of magic. In this connection, the often lively mutual exchange on an intertextual basis does not influence the inventiveness of magic and technology this study is interested in here. A representative of this kind of novel is for example Paolini’s Inheritance cycle. 27 Even if those incidents are hushed up times and again by the wizarding community, they take place all the same. 90 understanding. 28 Their friendship bridges all gaps and overcomes prejudices, thus uniting the two societies on a personal level. Whereas the normal humans or Muggles, as Rowling calls them, live with technological progress, the witches and wizards rely on magic instead. Means of travel and communication 29 are just as effective, if not swifter than their technical equivalents. Through the presentation of both views, the lifestyle of the other group is experienced as the alienation of one’s own. This effect is well reflected upon and illustrated by Ron’s father. The employee at the Ministry of Magic dedicates his life to the study of Muggles and their strange way of life; researching into exotic apparatuses like the telephone, the car or plugs. Serving as an original and exemplary connecting link between old and new, i.e. magic and technology, Harry Potter unites and embodies current trends of modern British children’s fantasy. While Rowling’s series obliges the nostalgic wish of a preservation of traditional magic with all its medieval charm, Harry Potter does not exhaust itself by an exclusively backward alignment. Rather, Rowling ensures a simultaneous exploration of future ways in the form of progress in “real life”. Thus, tension arises and is held by the conscious clash between two seemingly incompatible stages. The contrast between old and new works in a dual way. Either the main emphasis lies on a retrospective point of view, or it is directed towards a possible future. Noticeably, a great number of the novels in our corpus retain and/ or develop this retrospective aspect; either by being set entirely in a medieval-like, conservative world, or at least for the main part. However, this preservative effect is shifted from past to present once the main emphasis is put on progress and innovation. Then, the modern primary world can be depicted as underdeveloped compared to a further advanced fictitious parallel, future or other- dimensional civilisation. In the following, the focus will be on the analysis of this very phenomenon of a conscious innovation of magic and technology in British fantasy novels for children. Technicised fantasy novels may still be the minority, but several courageous and creative 28 Interestingly, only Ron has an unambiguous sense of belonging. By contrast, Harry descends from a mixed union of pure wizard and magically talented human. Raised as a “normal” human, Harry is initiated to the magical society at the age of eleven. Hermione is a magically talented girl with two “normal” parents. 29 These include for instance floo powder, port keys, the magical version of beaming, Apparating or the Knight Bus. Written correspondence is sent and delivered by post owls, whereas the equivalent of a tele-conference takes place in the participants’ own fireplaces. Depending on the respective interpretation as either accident or intention, the active witnessing of someone else’s thoughts stored in a pensieve can quite possibly be part of communication, too. 91 breakaways open up new perspectives and horizons. Those authors have realised the advantages of a replenishment as well as a restructuring of constellations. Pioneers, they have pegged out new claims and proceed to dig below the surface. What has been unearthed so far is promising, but a huge potential for innovations still lies dormant. Ready to be awakened, it can point the way ahead to possible new directions of fantasy novels for children. In those innovative novels, magic as the core “discipline” is directly contrasted with technology and its possibilities. Conspicuously, not only a rejuvenation, 30 but also a mechanisation of magic takes place. More and more frequently traditional magic is nowadays substituted or at least supported and extended by machines, media or other devices. Such a mechanisation of magic can for instance be found in Brennan’s series. 31 In three novels so far, the Irish author develops connections between two parallel worlds; a realistic primary one and a fantastic fairy realm. Interactions between these worlds take place via Stargate-like portals. However, access to these portals is limited. On the fairy side, only selected members of the royal family, above all Prince Pyrgus and Princess Blue, use these portals intentionally, whereas the human teenager Henry and the ex-bank-robber and pensioner Fogarty only accidentally stumble across one of them. In the primary world, old Fogarty is a tinkerer and inventor. His chaotic workshop is bursting at the seams, as in its unfathomable depths lie dormant innumerable technical marvels and treasures. Often genius can be close to madness, and Fogarty is the prime example for this. Very distrustful and eccentric, the pensioner has developed a persecution complex. Due to this vein, he appears much more susceptible to abnormal or exotic occurrences. So the appearance of the fairy Prince Pyrgus in his back garden does not clash too much with his world view. On contact with the alien fairy technology of the realm Fogarty is immediately in his element. Fascinated by the new technology, the pensioner quickly acquires the complex 30 The term rejuvenation encompasses the combination of traditional, “retro-style” magic elements with new, highly topical technological innovations or gadgets. Current British fantasy for children has discovered and begun to make good use of the magic inherent in ultramodern technical devices. Since their mysterious complex and specialised mechanisms in themselves resemble the effects of ancient magic, no inconsistencies arise. The rejuvenation process invigorates fantasy at the cost of a partial loss of the nostalgic flair of ancient magic. Considering the enormous gain through mechanisation, this loss seems a small price to be paid for the development of the genre. 31 Herbie Brennan. Faerie Wars. London: Bloomsbury, 2003; Herbie Brennan. The Purple Emperor. London: Bloomsbury, 2004; Herbie Brennan. Ruler of the Realm. London: Bloomsbury, 2006; Herbie Brennan. Faerie Lord . London: Bloomsbury, 2008. 92 know-how, which he can now develop further for his own purposes. 32 Even though the fairy realm offers many technological inventions and spells, these devices and the magic involved do not clutter the plot, but fit in well with the overall concept. By contrast, novels such as Download 1.22 Mb. Do'stlaringiz bilan baham: |
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