The metamorphosis of fae: An examination of the evolution of the fae in contemporary literature
Authors
Henriksen, Julie ; Christensen, Karna Brogaard
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2023
Submitted on
2023-05-29
Pages
122
Abstract
Dette speciale undersøger, hvordan skildringen af fae (feer og beslægtede væsner fra myter og folketro) i young adult (YA) fantasy har ændret sig fra 2000’erne til 2020’erne. Med et materiale bestående af ti YA-fantasyromaner fordelt over disse tre årtier ser specialet på, hvordan forfattere fremstiller fae-figurer og -samfund, hvordan de opbygger overbevisende fae-verdener (worldbuilding), og hvilke tilbagevendende troper der går igen. For at give et solidt udgangspunkt gennemgår studiet eksisterende forskning om overnaturlige væsner, forklarer hvad fae er i myter og folketro, og skitserer centrale træk ved YA-fantasygenren. Med den kontekst analyseres repræsentationen af forskellige fae-arter, de greb der får fae til at virke troværdige i fortælleverdenerne, samt de mest almindelige troper i de udvalgte romaner. Afslutningsvis identificerer specialet mønstre i moderne skildringer af fae og diskuterer, hvordan disse tendenser afspejler bredere ændringer i den litterære verden.
This thesis examines how portrayals of fae (fairies and related beings from myth and folklore) in young adult (YA) fantasy have changed from the 2000s through the 2020s. Drawing on a set of ten YA fantasy novels across these three decades, it looks at how authors depict fae characters and societies, how they build convincing fae worlds (worldbuilding), and which recurring tropes appear across the books. To ground the analysis, the study reviews existing scholarship on supernatural creatures, explains what fae are in myth and folklore, and outlines key features of the YA fantasy genre. With that context, it analyzes the representation of different fae species, the techniques that make fae feel believable in their storyworlds, and the most common tropes shared by the selected novels. Finally, the thesis identifies patterns in modern portrayals of fae and discusses how these trends reflect broader shifts in the literary landscape.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
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