WS102 Week 10: Does Fantasy Reflect Reality?
The Connection Between Fantasy and the Real World
Fantasy might seem like an escape from reality, but in many ways, it is deeply rooted in real-world history, culture, and politics. Even the most imaginative settings often reflect human struggles, societal systems, and philosophical ideas.
📌 This week, we’ll explore:
✔ How fantasy reflects real-world themes, history, and social structures.
✔ How Pratchett’s The Color of Magic satirizes and critiques aspects of our world.
✔ How collaborative storytelling can mirror real-life communication and creativity.
I. How Fantasy Mirrors Reality
Ways Fantasy Reflects the Real World:
✔ Historical Parallels – Many fantasy stories borrow from real-world history and politics.
✔ Social Commentary – Fantasy can critique systems of power, oppression, and culture.
✔ Philosophical Reflection – Fantasy often explores human nature, morality, and free will.
🔹 Examples of Fantasy Reflecting Reality:
✔ The Lord of the Rings (J.R.R. Tolkien) – Influenced by WWI & WWII, industrialization vs. nature.
✔ A Song of Ice and Fire (George R.R. Martin) – Inspired by The War of the Roses and medieval politics.
✔ The Broken Earth Trilogy (N.K. Jemisin) – Explores systemic oppression, climate disaster, and survival.
✔ Who Fears Death (Nnedi Okorafor) – Tackles colonialism, gender, and cultural history through mythic fantasy.
📌 Craft Takeaway: Even in the most fantastical settings, real-world influences shape the themes, conflicts, and worldbuilding.
II. Case Study: The Color of Magic (Part 2)
📖 This week’s reading: The Color of Magic (Part 2)
Terry Pratchett’s Discworld doesn’t just parody fantasy—it parodies real-world systems, from politics and bureaucracy to economics and tourism. His work is a brilliant example of using fantasy to critique reality with humor and satire.
🔹 Themes in The Color of Magic
✔ Tourism & Commercialism – Twoflower, the Discworld’s first tourist, represents Western attitudes toward travel and culture.
✔ Institutional Failure – The wizards of Unseen University are hilariously incompetent, poking fun at elitism and bureaucracy.
✔ Heroic Archetypes – Rincewind is an anti-hero, subverting traditional fantasy protagonist tropes.
📌 Discussion Topics:
How does The Color of Magic use humor to reflect real-world ideas?
What aspects of our world do you see mirrored in Discworld?
How does satire allow fantasy to critique society in ways serious narratives cannot?
III. Activity 10: Collaborative Storytelling Exercise
Fantasy is often about shared storytelling, whether through myths, legends, or RPGs. This exercise will simulate the improvisational nature of oral storytelling by building a story sentence by sentence.
📝 Instructions:
📜 You will work together as a class to build a collaborative story.
✔ A first line will be provided.
✔ Each student will add one sentence in the comments, building on what the previous student wrote.
✔ The goal is to create a cohesive (or hilariously chaotic) fantasy story.
📌 Example First Line:
"The wizard’s spell went horribly wrong, and suddenly, the castle was full of frogs."
✔ Student A: "One of the frogs, wearing a tiny golden crown, hopped onto the wizard’s head and began to speak."
✔ Student B: "‘You have unleashed the Frog Kingdom,’ the frog announced solemnly, ‘and now we must discuss reparations.’"
✔ Student C: "The wizard, still covered in spell dust, sighed. ‘Not again.’"
📌 Craft Takeaway: Collaborative storytelling requires quick thinking, adaptability, and creativity—all essential skills in writing.
📤 Deliverable:
📌 Participate by adding at least one sentence to the collaborative story thread.
IV. Conclusion: Fantasy as a Reflection of the World
📌 Key Takeaways:
✔ Fantasy is never entirely separate from reality—it reflects history, culture, and philosophy.
✔ Satire allows fantasy to critique societal issues with humor and exaggeration.
✔ Collaborative storytelling is an essential part of fantasy, from oral traditions to modern RPGs and shared-world writing.
📚 To-Do This Week:
📖 Continue Part 2 of The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett
📝 Participate in the collaborative storytelling exercise
Next Week: Identifying Strengths and Areas for Improvement in Your Work
As we approach the final weeks, we’ll focus on self-reflection—what have you learned? How has your writing evolved? Where do you want to grow? 🚀