The Development of Fantasy in Literature

This course will serve as an introduction to the mythological and literary origins of the fantasy genre. We will cover Polynesian and Mesoamerican mythology, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, excerpts from Journey to the West by Wu Cheng’en, The Lathe of Heaven by LeGuinn, excerpts from The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, Feet of Clay by Pratchett, and excerpts from Patricia Wrede’s Enchanted Forest Chronicles. These texts will give students the opportunity to hone their grasp of narrative and literary devices, including metaphor and satire, and develop their writing and analytical skills through discussions and writing assignments on the novels’ themes. At the end of the course, students will write a final, comparative essay examining a device featured in two of the works covered in the course.