First pass at Fantasy Matters proposal

[pegkerr]

(This is 227 words; the maximum is 250):

Flesh, Stone, or Missing Altogether:
The Heart as Embodiment of Humanity in Fantasy Literature

O had I known at early morn Tomlin would from me gone
I would have taken out his heart of flesh,
Put in a heart of stone

In the Author's Afterward to her fantasy novel, Tam Lin, Pamela Dean suggests that the book was about keeping a heart of flesh in a world that wants to put in a heart of stone, and how learning and literature can help their adherents accomplish that. The idea of a heart of flesh versus a heart of stone is a trope that has been used throughout the history of literature, a powerful metaphor which captures something essential about the experience of being engaged with the world, curious, creative, compassionate, vulnerable--in short, being human.

This paper will examine three metaphorical "states of the heart" (flesh, stone, or missing altogether) and explore why fantasy literature in particular is adept in exploring the different ranges of human experience suggested by this flexible metaphor. Examples from the work of Hans Christian Andersen ("The Snow Queen"), Barry Hughart (The Bridge of Birds) and Robin McKinley, among others, will be used to touch upon two advantages particular to the fantasy genre: 1) the illustrative contrast offered by the presence of non-human characters, and 2) the dramatic possibilities inherent in making the metaphor literal.

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Or something. Help me make it pretty? Your comments are very welcome.

Comments

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

Cool topic. I'd want to attend it, given this description.

One of my earliest out-of-context literary memories is of a fairy tale with a character whose heart was bound with an iron band, making him unable to feel. Eventually he has a profound emotional experience that touches his heart so deeply that his heart expands and breaks the iron band and he is healed. Oddly enough, I don't remember anything else about the story, which was one I listened to over and over on a wire recorder in my preschool years.

I think that suggests what a primal and powerful image this is (although I note that hearts bound with iron bands are not technically within the scope of your proposal. Perhaps they should be.)

Does anybody reading this recognize the story?

[owldaughter.livejournal.com]

I know it as The Frog Prince, or Iron Henry. Here's a version (http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/frogking.html).