The Great Escape?

Popular literature as therapy
I've been reading a lot of scholarship about romance novels lately (yes, there actually are romance scholars), and I'm struck by the fact that nearly all of them describe popular literature as escapist, although they don't agree on whether this is a good or a bad thing. Some say that pop lit works as a kind of therapy, providing a much-needed break from the stresses of daily life without the expense of an actual vacation. Readers enter into another world by identifying imaginatively with the book's protagonist and return to their own lives feeling refreshed and better able to deal with the problems they left behind.

Popular literature as drug addiction
Other scholars describe escapist literature much more negatively. Reading is irresponsible because it allows the individual to avoid problems instead of dealing with them. Reading is at best a means of procrastination, at worst a dangerous kind of self-medication. Because the fantasy world acts as a safety valve for the reader's frustration by vicariously fulfilling all his or her wishes, the reader has less motivation to face problems head-on, resolve them, and achieve his or her dreams in the real world. These critics argue that escapist literature sedates people into accepting the undesirable circumstances of their lives (such as unhealthy habits, unhappy relationships, unsatisfying work, or social injustices) instead of inspiring them to change.

Are fantasy and sf really escapist?
Fantasy and science fiction are especially vulnerable to this kind of criticism because the genres are seen as unrealistic and therefore useless in bringing about any personal or social transformation. However, I've noticed that the imaginary societies in fantasy and science fiction have just as many problems as ours does; in fact, many authors create these fantasy worlds in order to address real-world problems through a strategy of defamiliarization. They describe a society based on unfamiliar laws and customs that seem illogical, unfair, or simply wrong; as the novel progresses, readers are able to recognize their own society in this depiction and see its successes and shortcomings much more clearly. This strategy is similar to the question posed by sociologists about how a Martian visitor would perceive life on earth: sometimes the author allows us to visit another alien world; sometimes we become the Martians and are surprised or even horrified by what we discover about Earth.

For example, Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series presents a future society that insists on cosmetic surgery for everyone over 16 to prevent anyone from enjoying an unfair biological advantage based on appearance. The surgery prevents young people from developing eating disorders like bulimia and anorexia, and it guarantees that political elections and job hires are no longer based on the candidate's looks--when everyone is beautiful, everyone is equal.

This seems like democracy, but Westerfeld explains that this is actually tyranny. Why should someone else decide how you "should" look? Who has the authority to determine what is and isn't beautiful? What's wrong with simply being yourself? And why do the "New Pretties" seem so conformist, so trivial, so obsessed with fitting in instead of acting independently? Why doesn't their beauty free them? Through the exploration of an unfamiliar society, Uglies enables us to recognize our society's arbitrary standards of beauty, critique the media's enforcement of these standards, and confront our own complicity in obeying them.

By locating his or her story in another world where familiar allegiances and divisions don't apply, an author is able to create sympathy for an argument without running up against preconceived objections like "Well, an America-hating liberal WOULD say that" or "I don't have to listen to this paranoid conservative rant." Fantasy and science fiction create space for new ways of looking at old problems. Witness Orson Scott Card's critique of war and the military complex in Ender's Game or J. K. Rowling's protest against government intrusion into education in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Indeed, the more fantastic the text, the easier it is to find parallels to our own experience. This is why Lewis Carroll's Alice books have been so beloved and so influential. Who hasn't felt as bewildered and disoriented as Alice on her travels through Wonderland? Who hasn't run up against a regulation every bit as nonsensical and frustrating as the one the White Queen explains to Alice in Through the Looking Glass: "The rule is, jam tomorrow and jam yesterday, but never jam today"?

I'm not denying the pleasures of escapism. There's nothing I like better than snuggling up in my fleecy pajamas and losing myself in a good book. However, a really good book doesn't just help you get lost; it also helps you find your way back to a world you can see more clearly.

Twilight: The Movie

Thanks, Kat, for letting me know about the new movie version of Twilight. I don't know much about Kristen Stewart or Robert Pattinson, but I'd say they LOOK the part.

What do you think? Are they Bella and Edward? Do you have high hopes for the movie or are you already preparing to be disappointed?

New Gryffindor Schedule

The Gryffindors are beginning a new schedule this year. We will meet on the third Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. at Emily Fowler Central Library. Thursday afternoons created a lot of conflicts with school activities, so I hope that the new evening time will fit better into everyone's schedule.

Our first meeting will be Tuesday, Jan. 15, when we will discuss Rick Riordan's The Lightning Thief. Join us!

New Beginnings

Happy New Year! Sorry I've been gone for such a long time, but I got slammed with paper grading, scholarly writing (I'm past deadline on one project and I'm scrambling to meet another one), and general holiday merriment. I apologize to loyal readers Kat and Nathan for not updating more regularly.

But it's that time of year when we all see the error of our ways and vow to turn over a new leaf. One of my resolutions is to blog more frequently and consistently this year. I know that if I don't, Kat and Nathan will have their virtual elbows ready to give me a sharp nudge.

I'm also making a list of books I've been meaning to read for a long time. I'm glad that the Gryffindors will be reading Protector of the Small in March because I'll finally get around to reading some Tamora Pierce. People have been telling me for two years I need to read her, so I'm looking forward to finding out why!

What's on your list? What books have you been promising you'll get around to reading? This is the year!