Escapism

My father once asked me (a month before I started my grad program in English lit), "Julie, can I ask you, what is the purpose of fiction?" I was rendered speechless; I was embarrassed to discover I had no good answer. I fumbled around for something to legitimize my new course of study, but was never really satisfied with my answer. I mean, there are lots of good things about fiction. It can be highly instructional. It provides a forum for creativity. It's good for lots of things. Recently, though, I discovered, or finally admitted, that one more exists: Escapism.

I don't often use literature to escape because I'm usually reading for information or edification. It is still escaping in a sense, because it transports me from my current surroundings to the world contained in the pages of a book, but escaping my world is not usually my primary purpose in reading. However, my confession today is that there are two books (well, one book and one series) I use exclusively as escape-literature (one more than the other) and they both fall into the same genre: Fantasy.

I should explain that I consider this admission a confession because I have been accused in the past of being a book snob. Maybe I earned that label. Maybe not. I will say this: There aren't many fantasy authors out there that are high on my respectable list of well-knowns. That being said, I may not look the type, but I did almost my entire master's degree on medieval literature, its appropriations in literature throughout history, and, more specifically, Tolkien and his creation of Middle-earth. I know I just said I "don't do fantasy" and that Tolkien technically falls under fantasy, but Tolkien really is in a category all by himself. Growing up, I had never given much thought to Tolkien or The Lord of the Rings and was only vaguely aware of the existence of The Silmarillion, though I had no idea what it was or what it was about. Fantasy lit just wasn't my thing. But I'll admit, the movies came out and I was mesmerized. I read LOTR for the first time the fall before I started graduate school. I loved it. Then I took this heinous research methods class required of all first-semester students. [A side note of little interest to anyone but me: My professor was frightening. I'm not kidding. She was severe, socially inept, and brilliant. I have never been more intimidated in all my life. Sadly, she was one of only two medievalists on campus and I spent almost my entire graduate career under her watchful, condescending, tactless eye.] When my professor assigned the class to choose an author and read the authorized biography, I chose Tolkien. I was curious to find out more about the creator of Middle-earth. I passed many lovely fall evenings in front of my fireplace learning about his many eccentricities and acknowledged brilliance. A top philologist (he was recruited to work on portions of the O.E.D.) and medieval studies professor at Oxford, he wrote in his "spare time" (usually between the hours of midnight and 2 or 3 a.m.). I had no idea such a brilliant individual would deign to write something that could be termed fantasy literature. Just goes to show you the trouble book-snobbery can get you into.

While everyone walked around calling Tolkien's creation fantasy, he declared his creation a "mythology for England." Since England had been conquered and reconquered so many times, no solid mythology exists, no great origination story for this tiny, powerful Island, so Tolkien took matters into his own hands and created one himself (The Silmarillion). The creation story in that book is one of the most beautiful I have ever read. I could go on and on, but I'll just say this: One of the reasons Tolkien's version of fantasy is so excellent is because it has just enough of the world I recognize and know, but with an other-worldliness that isn't so far out there that I have to work to imagine it. It just feels familiar.

I know many people make the jump from Tolkien to Harry Potter, and I do so here only to point out that while they are not on the same level academically, they are on a similar level of accessibility to escapism. While Tolkien doesn't require me to work to believe, he does require me to think. Rowling, however, doesn't demand that I think because she eventually explains everything, whether it's through Dumbledore or his Penseive (or a thorough explanation from Hermione or Harry). Regardless of the level it's written on, Rowling has masterfully crafted something that evokes some of the same feelings as Tolkien's world: it is just close enough to my world for me to relate, but creates another world so magnificent and fantastic (as in fantasy-like) that I am willingly led into believing that Hogwarts does exist and that Harry really is going to save the world. Which brings me to my next point.

Savior literature. Had I finished my thesis, you would have have 70+ pages on this (aren't you glad I didn't? ha ha). I think this is the reason these two stories resonate so deeply with readers, the reason these are two of the best-selling novels/franchises ever. Well-crafted stories about good vs. evil, about one individual in whose hands the destiny of the earth resides, resonate because it is the essence of our existence. It is the story that is being written every day. Savior literature. It's powerful.

Anyway, this posting started out discussing escapism because I was going to confess that I just spent the last two weeks reading Harry Potter from start to finish--2 weeks, all 7 books-- because I was emotionally escaping from the news that my dad has cancer. It was the only way I could think of to cope. Harry Potter is an easy world to escape to, and I went easily and willingly. I emerged from Book 7 just yesterday. I've been thinking a lot over the last two weeks and have come to a few conclusions [spoiler alert, fair warning]:

Book Conclusions
1. No matter how many times I read the series (I think this was my 4th time through), I will always cry when Dumbledore dies. Always.
2. This was my third time through Book 7, and I still cried when Snape revealed to Dumbledore that his patronus is a doe...And this time through it finally registered that the reason Snape asks Harry to look at him right before he dies is so he can die with the vision of Lily's eyes before him. I know, I'm a little slow.
3. Snape is Rowling's most masterfully crafted character. I had a lot of theories about Snape. One of them was true. The other half of the puzzle, though, that part that completes Snape, the part about his connecton with Lily, I never would have guessed. Never. But it makes perfect sense. Brilliant.
4. My imagination will never be as alive as Rowling's. Ever. Hallows, horcruxes, souls splitting and connecting, wand lore...never in a million years would I have come up with it. I hope I get more creative as I get older. Maybe my children will teach me a thing or two.

Life Conclusions
1. Sometimes your mind needs to shut down when it's traumatized. It's good to listen and give it the rest it needs for however long it needs it. Don't push yourself back into the real world before you're ready to be there. Don't worry about it - you'll know when you're done. Also, it's good to escape to something that gives you a happy ending. Harry's friends and family suffer, some die, but there is hope in the end. That's always a good note to emerge on.

I've had the urge to go back and start reading the series again, but I know it's time to be done escaping and time to deal with reality.

Go fiction.