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

His Dark Materials
or the attainment of salvation by means of a fundamental change of heart 
in combination with amends for havoc wreaked as in The Wish List.
What all fantasy heroes of the corpus novels have in common is their visible 
individual development over the course of the novel(s). Varying from case to case, they all 
reach a higher developmental level than they had at the outset of the novel(s). This 
phenomenon can be attributed to the formative experiences of and influences on the heroes 
over the course of their crisis of identity, the phase of transition and their eventual initiation 
into society.
It can be observed that the majority of current British fantasy novels for children have 
a happy ending. Nevertheless, since many novels address momentous problems, injustices, 
violence, environmental pollution etc., the positive development of the heroes is frequently 

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dampened by a strong pensiveness, doubts, distress, oppressive feeling or a bitter aftertaste. A 
positive outcome for the hero does not necessarily make up for the complex of problems and 
the emotions caused by it. Given the tense, conflict-ridden situation of the real world, current 
fantasy literature cannot credibly portray an ideal world where evil is always defeated and 
good always triumphs.
5.4.7
 
Responsibilities, duties and conflicts 
As we have seen, the fantasy hero’s crisis of identity, the ensuing phase of transition 
and the subsequent initiation represent crucial events in their life. A lot of upheaval is caused 
by fundamental changes of the previous way of life, habits and attitudes. In most cases, the 
crisis of identity shatters the hero’s world picture. It is during the phase of transition and until 
the moment of initiation that the respective hero has to piece it newly together in a different 
constellation adapted to his new needs and experiences. With the often abrupt end of 
childhood, its shelter, play and carefreeness are swept aside and the hero is suddenly 
confronted with a seemingly hostile environment bristling with confusing conventions, 
traditions, habits, new dangers, conflicts, responsibilities and duties.
The initial feeling of freedom quickly yields to an oppressive feeling, a deep sense of 
insecurity, forlornness and disorientation. In addition, for the first time the hero is confronted 
with the consequences of acting on his own authority. He has to fend for himself as well as 
answer for his deeds. From now on no one relieves him of this responsibility. What is more, 
new skills have to be acquired, tested and honed and the respective place in society has to be 
found. Conflicts provide occasions for trying out social competences, judging sources of 
danger, controlling emotions and learning crisis management. In this phase of deep-rooted 
change and transition, the heroes begin to discover and form their true self, values and aims. 
Even if the sudden assignment of responsibility and duties more often than not comes as a 
surprise for the characters involved and initially seems to be too much for them to handle, it 
helps them to form and strengthen their character as well as to find and defend their new 
position.
Not only have the conflicts to be solved, but also to be digested. What is more, the 
heroes’ first reaction to their new role and quest is outright refusal. This pattern of behaviour 
runs right through the corpus novels. Just as Bilbo is very reluctant to set out on an unwanted 
adventure in The Hobbit and only does so when Gandalf and the dwarves use gentle force, 
current fantasy heroes refuse their new role and quest at first.

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Harry Potter finds it hard to believe the news that not only his parents but also he 
himself is a wizard and is now to attend the boarding school of Hogwarts. On his first 
encounter with Hagrid on his eleventh birthday, Harry is confronted with a vast amount of so 
far unknown information about his origin, his parents and his identity as a wizard. He is most 
troubled by the fact that he seems to be the only one ignorant of his fame. In view of his 
special status the boy is tormented by self-doubt and tries to interpret it as a dream. Therefore 
his first reaction of denial is understandable.
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As the chosen one, he is subject to 
predestination. In order to fulfil his quest of freeing the wizarding world of the evil 
Voldemort, Harry needs to accept his fate with all its implications, duties and responsibilities. 
The conflict with the murderer of his parents is inevitable. Each volume culminates in a 
dangerous encounter between the two adversaries. With every confrontation mastered Harry 
becomes more self-confident, sure of his aims and powerful, so that he eventually succeeds in 
his quest and saves the world from evil. Comparable to a messiah, Harry is confronted with 
the people’s expectations, hopes and trust which are conferred upon him and should not be 
disappointed.
In The Wardstone Chronicles, Tom has also been predestined for his quest by his 
mother. The boy is part of his mother’s prophecy, but the Spook is intent on not letting the 
boy assume he is someone special.
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Even though Tom does not refuse his task of becoming 
a spook himself and keeping the Country’s population from harm, he does not see any other 
sensible alternative for a profession. The boy’s duties and responsibilities are clearly lined out 
for him by his mother and his master; the latter making sure that his apprentice identifies 
himself with them. On the one hand, external conflicts arise when Tom and his master face, 
fight and bind evil spirits and witches which threaten not only their own, but also other 
people’s lives. On the other hand, unforeseen internal conflicts arise when the Spook falls in 
love with a lamia witch and his apprentice with the young witch Alice. Whereas their 
profession ought to forbid them any close contact with these beings, both Spook and his 
apprentice succumb to emotions instead of reason. Knowing that they are doing something 
forbidden torments their conscience and leaves them torn between duty, responsibility and 
desire. 
In Endymion Spring, Blake and his sister are involuntarily drawn into the emotional 
and geographical separation of their parents. The conflict of the latter leads to grief and 
232
Rowling, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, p. 47. 
233
Delaney, The Wardstone Chronicles. The Spook’s Apprentice, p. 59.

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sufferance for the children as well as a strained relationship to their mother, with whom they 
move to Oxford. In the course of the novel this conflict recedes to the background, making 
way for new a new kind of conflict. Duties and responsibilities gradually transpire once Blake 
gets bitten by a strange book with apparently blank pages, entitled Endymion Spring. 
Strangely enough, the boy is chosen by the book, not the other way round
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and thus drawn 
into the story. Intrigued and challenged by the riddle that suddenly appears on the pages, 
Blake sets his mind on solving it and the mystery of the book. However, Endymion Spring 
turns out to be more than just paper bound between two covers. Not only does it have a life 
and will of its own,
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but it is also one of the most precious books in the world because it 
foretells the future and retells the past.
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The more Blake inquires into the mystery of the 
book, the more he is drawn into the story himself and influenced by it. Over time, it becomes 
apparent that Blake, who lives in the present, and Endymion, who was apprenticed to the 
German printer Gutenberg in the Middle Ages, are connected by the book over the centuries. 
New conflicts arise when Blake becomes aware of the fact that he is not the only one 
fascinated by Endymion Spring. Chosen by the book as its rightful guardian,
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Blake’s duty 
and responsibility is to safeguard the tome from those evil people that attempt to abuse its 
powers and knowledge for their own purposes. Confronted with the quest set to him, Blake 
initially refuses to take on the responsibility he is given. He wonders why the book would 
choose him of all people, as he has not got anything heroic about him.
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Nevertheless, the 
boy finally proves his worth by defending the book at the risk of his life, thus preventing its 
abuse by evil and power-hungry people. He has come to understand the importance of his 
guardianship and has accepted his duty and responsibilities. After having successfully 
defended the book, Blake is rewarded with the positive outcome of the initial conflict: His 
parents are back together and harmony is re-established.
In Hofmann’s Stravaganza: The City of Masks young Lucien Mulholland suffers from 
a brain tumour in his own world, reality. A blank book with a nice cover, a magical talisman, 
permits Lucien to travel to the secondary world of Talia. There, he finds himself in Bellezza, a 
16
th
century secondary world version of Venice. The boy takes to spending his days as a 
234
Matthew Skelton. Endymion Spring. London et al.: Puffin, 2006, p. 89. 
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