To linger between two worlds; to perceive the doorway to another reality and to cross — voluntarily or not — the threshold is often the destiny of the literary hero or heroine. This thesis...Show moreTo linger between two worlds; to perceive the doorway to another reality and to cross — voluntarily or not — the threshold is often the destiny of the literary hero or heroine. This thesis critically examines the function of portals in such fiction and analyses the extent to which moving between the different realities facilitates character transformation for the protagonist. Over the past decades, Neil Gaiman has become one of the most successful authors of portal-fantasy; therefore, this thesis will focus on three of Gaiman’s novels to determine the nature of the portals operating within them. Chapter 1 will discuss the themes of escapism, alienation, and the desire to cross boundaries into unrealistic settings. Another concept to examine is the notion of liminality. Liminality is the state of being in between two worlds and belonging to neither, or belonging to both. The following three chapters will aim their attention at the portals that lead to liminal spaces in Neverwhere (1996), The Graveyard Book (2008) and The Ocean at the End of the Lane (2013). Each chapter contains three sections, which examine the nature of the portal that leads to the other world, the alien beings and concepts that the protagonist encounters in the secondary world, and the transformation that the protagonist undergoes during their experience of crossing into the these worlds. The thesis investigates the extent to which this transformation relates to the two worlds that the protagonist moves between. Another aim of the thesis, relating to transformation, is to show whether the portals in these narratives lead into a literal and metaphoric darkness, where the protagonist is forced to confront a trauma or hardship, or into light, serving as a domain of consolation, or relief from anguish. The conclusion will show that the ability to traverse between two worlds through a portal in these novels reshapes the protagonists’ understanding of the world around them in very different ways.Show less
The history of mankind is intrinsically linked to the history of narrative, since it is in our very being to communicate, and to produce narratives. In earlier times, people sat around the campfire...Show moreThe history of mankind is intrinsically linked to the history of narrative, since it is in our very being to communicate, and to produce narratives. In earlier times, people sat around the campfire or in the banquet hall to partake in the telling and hearing of stories about the world, about gods and higher powers, about heroes or extraordinary events, and so on. In the late 20th century, this oral tradition made a mainstream resurgence of sorts in western culture, with the rise of the (tabletop) Role Playing Game or ‘TTRPG’. These games, while not exact replications of oral tradition, are heavily reliant on its orality and collaborative storytelling elements, and its gameplay owes much to the narrative features and typescenes of oral tradition, especially medieval oral tradition, since the original TTRPG’s were inspired mainly by the medieval period. While scholars such as Walter J. Ong (Orality and Literacy: The Technologizing of the Word, 1982) have already discussed oral tradition in detail, its link to the relatively new medium of the TTRPG has yet to be touched upon in scholarship. This thesis will attempt to close this gap to a degree, by investigating to what extent the non-linear narrative structure of the TTRPG Dungeons and Dragons resembles that of medieval oral tradition. First, this thesis will define what exactly constitutes medieval orality, by presenting (among others) Walter J. Ong’s theory pertaining to the “Psychodynamics of Orality,” and illustrating the presence of his characteristics in extant historical sources of medieval oral tradition, such as the Old English Beowulf and the Norse sagas. Second, an overview will be provided of the popular TTRPG Dungeons & Dragons, detailing its content, gameplay mechanics, history, and development. Finally, this thesis will demonstrate the relation between Dungeons & Dragons and medieval orality, by applying Walter J. Ong’s theory on oral characteristics to the TTRPG. In so doing, this thesis will demonstrate that (TT)RPG’s can provide valuable contributions to the scholarly fields wherein the topic is otherwise overlooked.Show less
This thesis explores the themes of family, loss and belonging in Wes Anderson's Rushmore (1998), The Darjeeling Limited (2007), and Moonrise Kingdom (2012). The thesis connects objects and places...Show moreThis thesis explores the themes of family, loss and belonging in Wes Anderson's Rushmore (1998), The Darjeeling Limited (2007), and Moonrise Kingdom (2012). The thesis connects objects and places within these films to the abovementioned themes, and shows parallels between the use of objects in these films and the way in which objects are used in George Eliot's novel The Mill on the Floss (1860) - objects have a multiplicity of functions in both. Key to Anderson's films are relations between characters, and objects and places in the films signify these bonds. In the end, the characters in the films find a place to belong in the other.Show less
It is a widely known fact that monks practice abstinence. Yet, the monastic scribes of the Old English riddles had to copy lines about a man raising up clothing and thrusting with something stiff,...Show moreIt is a widely known fact that monks practice abstinence. Yet, the monastic scribes of the Old English riddles had to copy lines about a man raising up clothing and thrusting with something stiff, about a girl gripping a swollen and boneless thing, and about something by a man’s thigh that often fully fills the same hole. Unlike these lines might suggest, these riddles do not concern any unholy acts, but merely butter churning, a girl kneading dough, and a key unlocking a door. The power of riddles lies in their ability to change a mundane act or object in something so vastly different it is hardly recognisable, which makes them both a fun and mentally stimulating challenge. In Anglo-Saxon times, riddles circulated in Old English as well as in Anglo-Latin; the two Anglo-Saxon riddling traditions. The majority of current research on riddles claims that the two traditions are very similar in every aspect, except for the presence of sexual riddles. That particular subtype of riddles is said to only occur in the Old English tradition. Although the classroom, where the Anglo-Latin riddles are generally believed to be used, does not strike as a fitting place for crude jokes, some evidence of traces of possible sexual riddling have been found by Andy Orchard and Mercedes Salvador-Bello. Exploratory studies such as theirs leave room for future research, which inspired this thesis.Show less
This thesis will focus on four comedies by William Shakespeare, who used the concept of cross-dressing within As You Like It, Twelfth Night, Cymbeline and The Merry Wives of Windsor. This thesis...Show moreThis thesis will focus on four comedies by William Shakespeare, who used the concept of cross-dressing within As You Like It, Twelfth Night, Cymbeline and The Merry Wives of Windsor. This thesis will aim to find an answer to the question of whether female characters that cross-dress are more successful in achieving their goals and to what extent the characters experience altering consequences.Show less
This thesis is aimed at following the evolution of the character of Sherlock Holmes throughout three works : the original Conan Doyle's canon, the spinoff Enola Holmes series written by Nancy...Show moreThis thesis is aimed at following the evolution of the character of Sherlock Holmes throughout three works : the original Conan Doyle's canon, the spinoff Enola Holmes series written by Nancy Springer (2006-2010) and its recent film adaptation on Netflix (2020). Taking the famous detective's change in emotionality as basis, the thesis covers a number of topics in order to understand the reasons behind that change. Those topics include adaptations, feminism, the evolution of detective fiction and our relationship to emotions as a society.Show less
This thesis takes three works of prose fiction from the Victorian and Edwardian period that contain animal characters that interact with the human world. The fantastic narratives that will be...Show moreThis thesis takes three works of prose fiction from the Victorian and Edwardian period that contain animal characters that interact with the human world. The fantastic narratives that will be explored are: Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865); Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Books (1894-5); and Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows (1908). Furthermore, it argues that anthropomorphism and zoomorphism act as core elements in these narratives to describe the complex formation of identity in Victorian Britain and to provide an opportunity covertly to criticize issues in the Victorian social class system. Furthermore, the thesis analyses these magical worlds as places where children’s imagination can play with the animal-human divide.Show less
This thesis examines how Ruth Ware's The Turn of the Key (2019), Floria Sigismondi's The Turning (2020) and Mike Flanagan's The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020) portray the governess as the true victim...Show moreThis thesis examines how Ruth Ware's The Turn of the Key (2019), Floria Sigismondi's The Turning (2020) and Mike Flanagan's The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020) portray the governess as the true victim of the story, instead of the children, as perhaps happens in Henry James's The Turn of the Screw (1898).Show less
Since the twenty-first century, feminist retellings of myths have become increasingly popular. As an epic, Homer’s The Odyssey brims with female characters. However, mythology is often considered...Show moreSince the twenty-first century, feminist retellings of myths have become increasingly popular. As an epic, Homer’s The Odyssey brims with female characters. However, mythology is often considered to consist of archetypal and universally applicable stories about the nature of the universe and human life, which often leads to the notion that myth is stagnant and unchangeable. As a rising genre, feminist revisionist mythmaking aims to focus on the role of women in myth. By using Hélène Cixous’ essay The Laugh of Medusa and Alicia Ostriker’s definition of feminist revisionist mythmaking, this thesis aims to illustrate how Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad (2005) and Madeline Miller’s Circe (2018) revise and adapt previously marginalised female characters. This thesis will give an analysis of the women in Atwood’s The Penelopiad, focussing on Penelope’s voice and reputation, female rivalry, and the unjust hanging of the maids, followed by an analysis of Miller’s Circe that focusses on Circe’s voice and personal growth, sisterhood, and female sexuality. Both The Penelopiad and Circe confront issues such as gender and justice that are present in The Odyssey as well as present-day society. By focussing on women’s presence in a literary canon that historically seen has been dominated by the male gaze, Atwood and Miller emphasize that these women have survived despite the male-focused dominance and that it is never too late for them to speak up.Show less
Adaptations of alternate history scenarios allow for an exploration of contemporary issues and concerns in a distanced yet familiar world. Each chapter of this thesis covers a case study of a...Show moreAdaptations of alternate history scenarios allow for an exploration of contemporary issues and concerns in a distanced yet familiar world. Each chapter of this thesis covers a case study of a recent adaptation of such an alternate history narrative: The Man in the High Castle (2015-2019), The Plot Against America (2020) and Watchmen (2019). These case studies explore how the adaptation revises the original text in order to captivate a contemporary audience and expose present-day issues in America. Through these case studies, this thesis proposes that, rather than functioning as warnings, the alternate America settings in these adaptations function as a reflection of actual America in the late 2010s, which allows for an exploration and critique of American society’s response and susceptibility to ideological and populist movements in times of crisis, and an reconsideration of racial inequality as America’s defining issue.Show less
