Todorov's Fantastical Literature

Paper Summary:

The paper looks at two short works by Edgar Allan Poe, "William Wilson" and "Lady Ligeia", and outlines how they are both classic examples of fantastical literature, as the term is defined by Tsvetan Todorov. The paper looks at the clever use of the first-person narrative, at the ambiguous reality that exists in each story, and at the way in which Poe makes the bizarre seem plausible right until the end.

From the Paper:

"To begin with, one must understand that literature (at least in Todorov's view) must satisfy three conditions if it is to be genuinely considered "fantastic". Firstly, there must be an element of realism involved insofar as the text must "oblige" the reader to consider the world of the characters as one that "hesitates" between a natural and supernatural explication of the events taking place. Secondly, it is desirable that the reader identify with the character at the heart of the story. Finally, the work must not lend itself to allegorical or poetic interpretations. Proceeding further, it seems evident from Todorov's work that, if the "laws of reality" remain intact and can provide a reasonable explanation for the phenomena delineated by the writer, then the story itself is not "fantastic" but, rather, merely "uncanny". Conversely, if the conventional laws of nature do not apply, if they do not furnish the reader with credible explanations, then the story is said to be "marvelous" or fantastical (Todorov, "Excerpts from Tsvetan Todorov's The Fantastic," p.1)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Poe, Edgar Allan. "Lady Ligeia." N.d. University of Virginia. 13 May 2007 <http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/POE/ligeia.html>
• Poe, Edgar Allan. "William Wilson." The Literature Network. 2007. Jalic, Inc. 13 May 2007 <http://www.online-literature.com/poe/47/>
• Todorov, Tsvetan. "Excerpts from Tsvetan Todorov's The Fantastic." P.1 "The Fantastic: A Structural Approach to a Literary Genre "
• Todorov, Tsvetan. "Todorov's 'Fantastic.'" P.1 "The Fantastic: A Structural Approach to a Literary Genre "

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