Honors College Senior Thesis Presentations
Cultural Memory and the Search for Identity in Victorian Fantasy Fiction
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
Major
English Education/Secondary Certification
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Danielle Nielsen
Presentation Format
Oral Presentation
Abstract/Description
Fantasy’s roots stretch back through thousands of years of myths and folk tales, medieval romances, enlightenment fairy tale fantasy, and Romanticism, before finding its birthplace in the Victorian era and its fascination with the medieval. In an age of unprecedented scientific and social progress, why were Victorians so enamored with the idea of returning to the Middle Ages? Reacting to the Enlightenment’s realism and technological innovation, they "rediscovered" the Middle Ages as a time of beauty, simplicity, and moral virtue. Simultaneously, theories emerged about the psychological process of memory formation and retrieval, as well as its reliability and relation to identity. The Victorian cultural memory of the Middle Ages proves to be a construct, a type of fantasy in itself. Cultural memory within fantasy fiction creates an escape and a critique of society’s problems, exploring identity on an individual and cultural level. Two works serve as examples: Set in the 16th century, Lord’s Dunsany’s “The King of Elfland’s Daughter” is heavily influenced by medieval tropes and cultural memory, resulting in a genre-defining story about change and loss. N.K. Jemisin’s “The Fifth Season,” a 2015 work of modern fantasy, was also published during a time of contemporary societal change and turmoil, exploring similar questions of loss, identity, progress, history, and memory through a post-apocalyptic lens, with more subtle medieval touches. This presentation explores fantasy fiction as a genre that is, fundamentally, a search for identity, one which has persisted throughout literary history and culminated in Victorian and modern fantasy fiction. Fantasy fiction is a multi-disciplinary endeavor that explores universal questions about memory and identity, uniting us with our past and encouraging hope for the future.
Fall Scholars Week 2024 Event
English and Philosophy
Cultural Memory and the Search for Identity in Victorian Fantasy Fiction
Fantasy’s roots stretch back through thousands of years of myths and folk tales, medieval romances, enlightenment fairy tale fantasy, and Romanticism, before finding its birthplace in the Victorian era and its fascination with the medieval. In an age of unprecedented scientific and social progress, why were Victorians so enamored with the idea of returning to the Middle Ages? Reacting to the Enlightenment’s realism and technological innovation, they "rediscovered" the Middle Ages as a time of beauty, simplicity, and moral virtue. Simultaneously, theories emerged about the psychological process of memory formation and retrieval, as well as its reliability and relation to identity. The Victorian cultural memory of the Middle Ages proves to be a construct, a type of fantasy in itself. Cultural memory within fantasy fiction creates an escape and a critique of society’s problems, exploring identity on an individual and cultural level. Two works serve as examples: Set in the 16th century, Lord’s Dunsany’s “The King of Elfland’s Daughter” is heavily influenced by medieval tropes and cultural memory, resulting in a genre-defining story about change and loss. N.K. Jemisin’s “The Fifth Season,” a 2015 work of modern fantasy, was also published during a time of contemporary societal change and turmoil, exploring similar questions of loss, identity, progress, history, and memory through a post-apocalyptic lens, with more subtle medieval touches. This presentation explores fantasy fiction as a genre that is, fundamentally, a search for identity, one which has persisted throughout literary history and culminated in Victorian and modern fantasy fiction. Fantasy fiction is a multi-disciplinary endeavor that explores universal questions about memory and identity, uniting us with our past and encouraging hope for the future.