Breaking the Magic Code: Finding the Pattern of Goodkind's Fantasy
Passage2014,2(2), 82-90
Breaking the Magic Code: Finding the Pattern of Goodkind’s Fantasy Fiction Wizard’s First Rule
Desti Ilmianti Saleh English Language and Literature Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia [email protected]
ABSTRACT
The present study aims at identifying the pattern of the story through analyzing the fantasemes and the ways the story constructs the logic of the secondary world. Utilizing a qualitative research particularly descriptive method, the study adopts Nikolajeva’s (1988) fantasy theory. The study found that the fantasy story construction is presented through combination of fantasemes. From the analysis of the fantasemes it is clear that the story utilizes a pattern linear to common fantasy fiction, however it also creates a new pattern. Similar to other fantasy stories, this story has a character traveling and leaving home, challenged and helped, performing a task and gaining triumph. The differences are in the absence of primary world which is replaced by heterotopias. The story constructs the logic of the secondary world through following magic laws, namely limitation and consistency.
Keywords: Fantasy, Fantasemes, The Magic Space, The Magic Time, The Magic Passage, The Magic Impact, The Magic Law
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Desti Ilmianti Saleh Breaking the Magic Code: Finding the Pattern of Goodkind’s Fantasy Fiction Wizard’s First Rule
INTRODUCTION warden. In the end, Richard succeeds Fantasy fiction is delineated as in finding the box and killing Rahl. stories possessing significant feature, The present study chooses to use namely the presence of magic Wizard’s First Rules because it is a including magical beings or events, good example of narrative containing unrealistic world, the mysterious several magical elements to reveal sense, a wonder, and the destruction how the story constructed as fantasy of the natural laws (Nikolajeva, fiction; and to show the ways in 1988). Those magical elements are which the story constructs the logic the important elements that of the secondary world. The study characterize a text as a fantasy adopted theoretical framework from fiction. Nikolajeva (1988) called the magic The children and young code. She identified adult’s literature including magical The use of magical pattern in elements as stated above are fantasy for children. According to classified into fantasy fiction. One of her theory, there are five key the examples of fantasy fiction is concepts in revealing the nature of Terry Goodkind’s Wizard’s First fantasy, namely magic space, magic Rule (1994)—the first book of The time, magic passage between the two Sword of Truth series—sets in the worlds, magic passage, and magic invented world. The main character, laws. The description and Richard who lives in the free land of presentation of the analysis are magic called Westlands is named to critically analyzed and interpreted by be the Seeker of the Truth. He has means of uncovering how the story is task to find a magical box to stop evil constructed as a fantasy literature power of Darken Rahl in the lands of and investigating the ways in which magic Midlands and D’Hara. To do the story constructs the logic of the his task, he is supplied by a magical secondary world in the text. thing namely the Sword of the Truth, Therefore, by analyzing Wizard’s and accompanied by a wizard, a First Rules, it reveals the way how mother confessor, and a boundary the story tells the fantasy story
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construction and the logic of the to explain the relation. According to secondary world in it. Bakhtin (1975; cited in Nikolajeva, Fantasy fiction possesses a 1988, p.24), chronotope means “a number of features that only inherent significant connection of temporal to this genre (Nikolajeva, 1988). The and spatial relations artistically features are the narrative elements assimilated by literature”. From this that she terms as fantasemes. view chronotope is defined as the According to her, fantasemes are relation between place and time. used to introduce magic Widely, contextualizing chronotope surroundings, events, figures, in fantasy fiction, the fantasy objects, and their interaction in a cronotope is the unity of different certain story where its presence fantasemes which can be used to constructs a text as fantasy genre. describe the secondary world of the Specifically, she categorizes story (Nikolajeva, 1988; cited in fantasemes into four major fields Salminen, 2009). Furthermore, this among others are magic space, magic relation of fantasemes and time, magic passage between two interrelated fantasemes can help the worlds, and the impact of this writer to find the pattern of Wizard’s passage. She explains that the First Rule fantasy fiction. presence of fantasemes is what Besides the narrative constructs a text as fantasy genre. elements or fantasemes and its Therefore, an analysis of fantasemes relation or chronotope, fantasy can show how the story is fiction has some important rules. constructed as fantasy fiction. Nikolajeva (1988) formulates the Fantasemes are interrelated rules in the term of the magic law where the analysis of one element that consists of two main laws: limit narrative fantasy cannot be separated and consistency to make a fantasy from the others. It is in line with fiction logical for the readers. Gates, Nikolajeva’s notion that every Steffel, and Molson (2003) approve element is related to each other. She Nikolajeva’s notion of the magic law uses Bakhtin’s notion of chronotope in which the limit and consistency
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Desti Ilmianti Saleh Breaking the Magic Code: Finding the Pattern of Goodkind’s Fantasy Fiction Wizard’s First Rule
should be involved in writing fantasy FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION where the laws aim to help The fantasy fiction Wizard’s evaluating the literature which is First Rule is constructed based on a read. The laws can help the study to pattern that makes this story different evaluate the logic of the secondary from the other fantasy fictions. The world presented in the novel. story follows linear pattern reflected in magic passage and magic time, METHODOLOGY however develop its own pattern of The data of analysis were collected the other elements presented in through reading and re-reading to magic space and magic impact. Wizard’s First Rule by Goodkind for The magic space in Wizard’s several times. It is because the study First Rule presents heterotopias. At mostly deals with narrative textual the beginning, the story seems set in analysis. The data were in the form the primary world where the of words, utterances, and dialogues Westlands is depicted as a land that that were critically analyzed and has towns and woods. This depiction purposively selected and directed to in fact, follows the rule of answer the research questions. The consistency, which means the author collected data were categorized into creates its physical nature similar to how every element of fantasy which structure of the fundamental physical appeared in the text was related each nature in real world, such as reddish other, thus it formed an intact leafs in the autumn (Swinfen, 1984; narrative. The collected data were cited in Nikolajeva, 1988). Another analyzed and categorized by using point is that one of the characters, the framework of the magic code as Kahlan told about the history of the proposed by Nikolajeva.. The result creation of the three lands. Before of the study is expected to provide war their world just consists of two new insights for understanding lands of magic, the Midlands and fantasy fiction through a deep D’Hara. After war the Westland is analysis of the nature of fantasy. created as a free land of magic. The three lands are separated by the
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boundaries which are part of the the primary world gets into toys town underworld. Clearly, the invention of built by them, and that town there is the Westland and the boundaries in one more town (cited in Nikolajeva, the story indicates that the closed 1988). secondary world forms heterotopias However, the complex where the Westland imitating the structure of the secondary world primary universe and the boundaries presented heteretopias does not which are part of the underworld the influence the idea of magic time to land of death. According to be complex too. Although there is Nikolajeva (2003), heterotopias refer time distortion found, it does not to a multitude of discordant influence the whole narrative story. universes in which one world can In Wizard’s First Rule, the concept differ greatly from each other. The of time is linear. It is in line with concept of these heterotopias seems Nikolajeva’s (1988) statement that like the Chinese boxes’ metaphor. the times of heterotopias develop the The textual evidences of concept of simultaneity of all times. magic space show that, the absence The textual evidences of the of primary world in Wizard’s Fisrt magic passages demonstrate that Rule is replaced by the presence of Richard’s adventure follows some heterotopias. Those heterotopias are phases of the basic plot of fairy tales what make the novel different from inherited by fantasy. Nikolajeva another fiction. Mostly, a fantasy (2003) mentions that the plot fiction presenting multitude worlds includes the hero leaves home; meets or heterotopias also presents the helpers and opponents; goes through primary world in the story. In other trials; performs a task; and gains words, generally fantasy fiction triumph. It also has inherited some presenting heterotopias are open essential conflicts and patterns, for world. One example is in Edith example the fight between good and Nesbit’s short story The Town in the evil. The textual evidences also Library in the Town in the Library strengthen Nikolajeva’s statements (1898) where some characters from that in fantasy the ancient pattern of
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Desti Ilmianti Saleh Breaking the Magic Code: Finding the Pattern of Goodkind’s Fantasy Fiction Wizard’s First Rule
the mythical passage is reflected on namely about love. As stated by the passage from the primary to the Nikolajeva (1988), many fantasy secondary chronotope. authors make the adventure into the The adventure from one of secondary chonotrope as a test to get heterotopias to the closed secondary a moral and psychological evolution world in Wizard’s Fisrt Rule gives as its result. Before his adventure, he the magic impact to the traveler’s feels miserable because his father identity, Richard. Before he leaves death. At that time, she meets Kahlan home (the Westland, one of who comes from the Midlands. heterotopias), he is a woods guide. During his adventure, he is Then, he is named as the Seeker of accompanied and guided by her. In Truth which is his new identity in the the end, he gets Kahlan love. closed secondary world, the The logic of secondary world Midlands. He still keeps his identity in Wizard’s First Rule is constructed as a woods guide although he is through following the magic laws attached new identity. In the middle namely limitation and consistency of his travelling he is arrested by his (Nikolajeva, 1988). One example of opponent, Rahl. He becomes Rahl’s the limitation can be seen in the most apprentice’s slave. He gets new powerful magical object in the identities during his adventure, but secondary world of text that is the he keeps his original identity as a three boxes of Orden. woods guide until he succeeds defeat Rahl. Those various identities reveal "an ancient and dangerous magic of immense power. that the main character’s adventure It's a magic spawned from from a heterotopia to closed the earth, from life itself. It is held in three vessels called secondary worlds has attached the three boxes of Orden. various identities to him where his The magic is dormant until the boxes are put into play, original identity from the beginning as it is called. To do so is not never changes until he gains triumph. easy. It requires a person who has knowledge gained Additionally, the adventure from long scholarship and gives the character a moral result who can call upon
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considerable power on his world. One example is the season in own. Once a person has at the story. At that time, the story set least one of the boxes, the magic of Orden can be put in in autumn. The story begins from the play. He then has one year free land of magic, the Westland. from that time to open a box, but he must have all three …, Richard spotted before any will open. They the purplish red work together; you can't autumn leaves of a simply have one and open it. small nannyberry If the person who puts them tree, …. in play fails to acquire all …. three, and to open one within Richard had been the allotted time, he forfeits on that part of the his life to the magic. There is trail many times. In no going back. Darken Rahl the spring it was must open one of the boxes, wet and soggy or die. On the first day of down by the lake, winter, his year is up." but this late in the (chapter 9, p. 76-77) year it would be dry. (Chapter 1, p.3-4) The textual evidence above shows that the boxes of Orden do not The textual evidence above shows only have massive power, but also that the natures of autumn in the have restrictions, namely the boxes story are consistent with the nature of requires a person who has knowledge autumn in the real world, namely red how to open the boxes right; the leaves and dry. Then, when the story boxes also should be put together to moves to the land of magic, the be opened in right time which is on season is autumn and the natures of the first day of winter; and someone the season do not change. who open the boxes in wrong way can die. It clears that the author Wind and rain bowed the shows the restriction and the danger long grass in broad slow waves as the two of them of the magic. made their way across the The second law that constructs open, flat plain. … they were near the Mud People's the logic in the text is consistency. territory. Richard followed The nature of chronotope in the text silently behind, keeping her follows a firm basis in primary
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Desti Ilmianti Saleh Breaking the Magic Code: Finding the Pattern of Goodkind’s Fantasy Fiction Wizard’s First Rule
under his watchful eye, as in the creation of heterotopias. always. Commonly, fantasy fictions are set in …. Autumn was wearing on, two worlds, primary and secondary and their time was world in which the main character(s) dwindling. Still, the Mud People might not help travel from the first to the latter. In them, and then the time Wizard’s First Rule there is no would be wasted. (Chapter 22, p.210) primary world, instead, the author
creates heterotopias which imitates The textual evidence shows that the the primary universe and the land of story sets in the Mud People’s death. In addition, the story territory where that place are part of constructs the logic of the secondary the Midlands, the land of magic. It world through following magic laws, also shows that the season has same namely limitation and consistency. characteristic with the nature of The study suggests that more autumn in the real world, namely studies of fantasy literature be wind and rain. It indicates that the conducted because fantasy is one of story is logical. popular genres in literature for
children and young adults. This study CONCLUSION is also expected to motivate future Referring to the above explanation, it readers and researchers to better can be inferred that Wizard’s First understand about fantasy literature. Rule is constructed through following both linear pattern and REFERENCES inventing the new ones. Similar to Alwasilah, A. C. (2011). Pokoknya the other fantasy fiction, this story Kualitatif: Dasar-Dasar Merancang dan Melakukan tells about a main character traveling Penelitian Kualitatif. Jakarta: and leaving home, challenged and Pustaka Jaya. (Original work published 2002) helped, performing a task and gaining triumph—these are the Fike, J. (2004, May 18). The Role of Wizards in Fantasy Literature. common pattern of fantasy fictions. The Victorian Web: An However, the distinctive features are Overview. Retrieved May 26, 2013, from
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http://www.victorianweb.org/co May 26, 2013, from urses/fiction/65/tolkien/fike14.ht http://sot.wikia.com/wiki/Magic ml Maxwell, J. A. (1996). Qualitative Fitzgerald, M. A. (2008, April). Research Design: An Interactive Young Adult Fantasy Fiction in Approach. Thousand Oaks, Recent Years: A Selective Calif.: Sage Publications. Annotated Bibliography :: Masters Papers. Digital Nikolajeva, M. (1988). The Magic Collections-Digital Collections Code: The Use of Magical Home. Retrieved June 26, 2012, Patterns in Fantasy for from Children. Stockholm: Almqvist http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/ref/coll & Wiksell International. ection/s_papers/id/1032 Nikolajeva, M. (2003). Fairy Tale Gates, P. S., Steffel, S. B., & And Fantasy: From Archaic To Molson, F. J. (2003). Fantasy Postmodern. :: Journal. Marvels Literature for Children and & Tales. Retrieved January 18, Young Adults. Lanham, Md.: 2013, from Scarecrow Press.
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