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Setting As an Expression of Character Development in the Epic Fantasy Genre

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Running head: SETTING AS CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT 1 From the Shadows: Setting as an Expression of Character Development in the Epic Fantasy Genre Leah Henson A Senior Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for graduation in the Honors Program Liberty University Spring 2020 SETTING AS CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT 2 Acceptance of Senior Honors Thesis This Senior Honors Thesis is accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for graduation from the Honors Program of Liberty University. ______________________________ Durrell Nelson, M.F.A. Thesis Chair ______________________________ Michael Torres, Ph.D. Committee Member _____________________________ Christopher Nelson, M.F.A. Assistant Honors Director ______________________________ Date SETTING AS CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT 3 Abstract Epic fantasy is a genre defined by its setting. It offers writers the opportunity to be incredibly specific with the way setting contributes to the overall story, specifically as an aid character development. In order to successfully use setting to support character development, the writer must understand what preconceptions with which the reader enters the epic fantasy genre and what purpose setting plays in the overarching story world. The writer must determine what setting elements to include and, just as importantly, which to leave out. Finally, because setting is such an abstract component of writing, it is useful not only to discuss generalities that apply to all writers but to examine a specific example in order to better understand how worldbuilding can be implemented in a way that feels natural to the reader. SETTING AS CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT 4 From the Shadows: Setting as an Expression of Character Development in the Epic Fantasy Genre Fantasy is perhaps the most versatile genre when it comes to the flexibility its setting offers writers, and it is a valuable tool that writers can use to enhance a character-centric story. In fantasy, there is already an expectation from the reader that the world in which the story takes place will be different to some extent from the ordinary world experienced by the reader. Writers within this genre are able to use the ordinary world as a starting point, adding minor fantastical elements to create a hidden world within our own, or create an entirely new universe that may not even contain human life. Fantasy may be the genre that places the most emphasis on setting, and this provides an expanse of opportunities for the fantasy writer to control exactly how the setting is used to support the character’s developmental arcs throughout the story. Character development often governs the way writers think about story. Plot becomes a conduit through which characters are tried, tested, and given opportunities to grow. Themes become worldview questions explored through the characters’ journeys. However, setting is often simplified to a few examples of symbolism used throughout the story or an arbitrary world characters are placed within so that the story can happen. Compared to the vast amount of options available within this element of storytelling, it seems like writers are skipping over a trove of opportunities to create a rich, character-centric world. It is important to understand the purpose of setting within the story, discover how that applies within the specific requirements of the fantasy genre, and decide how to use setting as a tool to support a vibrant world and characters without distracting the reader from the journey of the story in order to best utilize setting as a story element. SETTING AS CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT 5 Expectations of Setting in Fantasy Defining Epic Fantasy Epic fantasy (or “high fantasy”) is a genre defined by its scope and the heroic adventures of its characters, but it is most thoroughly defined by its setting. There are a wide variety of subgenres within fantasy as a whole, categorized usually by the type of world the story is set inside, type of and scope of the magic system, and types of fantastical creatures. All three of these criteria are related to setting. While the fantasy genre as a whole dates back to ancient times in mythology and folklore, epic fantasy is a relatively new category of literature, appealing to popular culture only after the 1950s when J.R.R. Tolkein’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy was published. “[Heroic fantasy] existed before Tolkien…and it is possible to say that it would have existed, and…developed into the genre it has become, without the lead of The Lord of the Rings. This seems, however, rather doubtful. When it came out in 1954-5 The Lord of the Rings was quite clearly…a one-item category on its own” (Shippey xviii). Lord of the Rings marked a shift in epic fantasy as a real and popular subgenre. Tolkien may not have invented fantasy, but it cannot be argued that he is the father of the subgenre epic fantasy. Today, reading an epic fantasy novel means entering a world set somewhere outside the real world. This world is typically reminiscent of medieval Europe, however, as the genre evolves more epic fantasy settings are rooted in a wider variety of real- world cultures. No matter the cultural setting, a medieval or low-technology world is dominant. Low-technology is one element that separates fantasy from science fiction, though the two are often grouped together. But fantasy as a broad genre does not necessitate low- SETTING AS CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT 6 technology, and even epic fantasy has made shifts in recent years to include more technological elements in the worlds. The main difference between fantasy and science fiction is where the novel draws its basis. Science fiction, of course, “is based on science. Science… is naturalistic: it is replicable, depends on material laws, follows a rigorous logic. Fantasy, conversely, looks to the fairy tale for inspiration: It hinges on magic” (McNamee). Because of this, fantasy takes a closer look at religion, and morality, while science fiction usually explores human nature. Magic may be the most useful worldbuilding element fantasy writers have in terms of character development. Specifically, in epic fantasy, there is usually an amount of magic that the general population is aware of its existence. The less magic there is (and the more ignorant or fearful of magic the general population is) the more a story strays into other fantasy subgenres such as sword and sorcery or dark fantasy, both of which emphasize a grittier world with a modest scope compared to the epics’ continental or global scale. In epic fantasy, magic is an expected part of the world and likely plays an important role in helping the characters reach their goals. Not only is it a defining characteristic of epic fantasy, it is an extremely useful element of worldbuilding for writers in regard to character development. Most of the time the magic a character uses and their level of skill or control over that magic is tied in some way to their development as a character, so it is a useful tool in worldbuilding as a manifestation of the character’s growth or demise. Defining Setting Setting is more than the physical world the characters live inside. In fantasy, it also includes the culture, political climate, religions, and the magic system. Often, these elements are what affects the characters exponentially more than the physical one. SETTING AS CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT 7 For example, suppose in a particular fictional world there is a mountain that is in the way of a character’s path from point A to point B. The physical barrier adds a layer of conflict; the character must either traverse the rough terrain to scale it or add time to their journey by going around. But the conflict is no more than an arbitrary stumbling block, taking no advantage of the opportunity to tie setting-based conflicts to character development. Adding cultural context to this situation can enhance the conflict, provide the character with an opportunity to develop, and deepen the reader’s connection to the world and its people. Suppose it was established that this culture has legends of malicious wraiths that haunt the mountain range the character is crossing. In this case, the clear preference would be to skirt around the mountain. If the character is forced to scale the mountain, the writer can have them encounter one of these wraiths as a physical manifestation of battling his or her inner demons, or the trip can go without a problem in order to shed light on the irrationality of the character’s or culture’s fears. This one element of cultural significance provides a multitude of options for the writer to implement to best support the development of the character at that point. Setting also reflects theme and mood in a story. Epic fantasy writers have an incredible amount of freedom in what they describe in the world and how they describe it, but in order for the setting to be truly impactful to the reader it must be grounded in human experience. Yi-Fu Tuan discusses the setting as part of why Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes books have had a lasting impact: “the world of Holmes may have its source in a particular period of European history, but it also has its roots in a common human condition.” The progressive yet confusing London in the Sherlock Holmes books reflects the way humans see themselves. “We are to ourselves modern metropolises with orderly and clean streets, but in their midst lie SETTING AS CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT 8 twisting lanes and dark alleys about which we know little and which are the breeding grounds for fear, anxiety, and inadmissible passions” (Tuan). In the same way, setting and characterization can be used together to compliment the themes of the story, no matter what world it is set in but especially in the flexibility epic fantasy offers.
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