Day 14
fantasy
I think it most profound that fantasy is considered so frivolous, yet it informs so much of our childhood and young adulthood. I would argue that it should inform more of our adulthood. Not just because of what the writing has to teach us, but because of how the stories force us to live outside of “real” life and engage our imaginations so completely. After all, we must first imagine what we can become before we can become it. I am so thankful my dad encouraged me to read fantasy. These days I suppose video games are a primary source of the imaginative experience so many people have, and for that I can’t fault them. While there may be a lecture about escapism on the tip of some rational-concerned-parent’s tongue, I think there should be more empathy for the fact that those of us who love fantasy worlds intuitively know there is something to learn there.
Interestingly, it is in these unreal, or surreal, stories that I sometimes find the most useful guidance about how to relate to other beings. I think you can learn everything you need to know about being human by studying the various characters of Lord of the Rings: the bravery of Frodo, the loyalty of Sam, the humility of Aragorn, the humor of Gimli, the attentiveness of Legolas. I’ve read those books so many times that these characters and their primary characteristics are as meaningful and instructive as the bible characters I was raised on.
We have evolved some amazing tech that literally makes the hero’s journey seem quaint and nearly trivial. We forego the physical adventures that used to shape us: the pilgrimage, traveling without money, dating without social media and apps to guide us. Fantasy narratives are grounded in the idea that the development of character happens through experience, humiliations, sacrifice. We could use a dose of this, not because we need to be brought down a peg, but because we need to remember what we are capable of. Reading fantasy is to engage the slow and magical process of becoming those with the courage to slay dragons, reverse eternal winters, or overcome the dark-side.
