This presentation examines the versatility of fantasy. This genre can be stated to be serving as an escape from the ugliness of reality, as well as a medium to propagandize those ugly aspects, specifically regarding war. The presentation focuses on Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie and The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis and provides an analysis on how various aspects of the genre are reflected in these works. Peter Pan, although it was written before both world wars, due to involvement of Barrie in war propaganda in the US by Britain, is believed to have an impact on Roosevelt’s representation of war as a great adventure, echoing Barrie’s Peter — the boy who never grows up. This conceptualization of war is analysed as reflecting the power of fantasy to impact mass society. On the contrary, Lewis’ famous work is discussed to be an escapist fantasy work in this research, serving as a secondary reality away from the primary and functions as a means for oblivion. This presentation compares Lewis’s and Barrie’s literary texts regarding their relations to both world wars and explains the evacuation of children during World War II and Barrie’s contributions to war propaganda along with Roosevelt’s representation of war as a great adventure. Therefore, it is concluded that fantasy has the ability to criticize the primary reality through subversion, while also affecting the ways people view events as disastrous as war.

Authors:
Elif Yilmaz, Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University, Turkey

About the Presenter(s)
Ms Elif Yılmaz is currently a lecturer at Ankara Medipol University in Ankara, Turkey. Ms Elif YILMAZ is currently having her Phd degree at Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University in Ankara, Turkey in the field of English language and Literature.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Monday Schedule

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