Bettelheim's Theory for Adolescents' Interest in Fantasy Comparison Essay by Metro
Bettelheim's Theory for Adolescents' Interest in Fantasy
A critical analysis of Bettelheim's theory for adolescents' interest in fantasy and the supernatural.
# 153934
| 0 words
| 0 sources
| 2014
| 
Published
on Jun 24, 2014
in
English
(Comparison)
, Child, Youth Issues
(Teen, Adult Issues)
, Women Studies
(General)
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From the Paper:
"Francesca Lia Block's The Hanged Man, and Pete Hautman's Sweetblood, both feature young protagonists with an interest in fantasy and the supernatural. In literature featuring a young person as a protagonist, the psychological explanations given overtly or impliedly by an author for their protagonist having an interest in fantasy and the supernatural often reflects modern psychological explanations for real life youths' interest in such. In his book, The Uses of Enchantment, Bruno Bettelheim has stated that many young people who seek to escape reality through their interests in fantasy or the supernatural do so because they were pushed to view reality in an adult way from a young age (Bettelheim 51). Despite this argument reflecting a commonplace occurrence for literature protagonists, it is not the only explanation available."Block and Hautmans' protagonists conform to Bettelheim's argument; however the texts' also offer other explanations for their interests. In evaluating the level that Bettelheim's argument reflects the nature of the protagonists' interest in fantasy and the supernatural in these two texts we will be able to conclude that it offers a keen insight into the psychological workings of young persons. However, after further exploration of the nature of the protagonists' interests in fantasy and the supernatural, we will ultimately find that Bettelheim's argument is only one of many explanations for why young people may be drawn into such, and that while it may offer some refection of reality, it should not be considered in isolation to other explanations.
"How do Block and Hautmans' protagonists conform to Bettelheim's argument?
Bettelheim argues that young people who have interests in the fantasy and the supernatural often have such because they were pushed to view reality in an adult way prematurely. Laurel from The Hanged Man, and Lucy from Sweetblood, both conform to this statement, which we will discuss. Importantly, we must also consider what Bettelheim considers to be the effects that a lack of exposure for young children to fantasy and the supernatural has on them as they grow older, as if Laurel and Lucy suffer such effects, this will further confirm Bettelheim's argument that they were likely pressed into adulthood prematurely."
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Bettelheim's Theory for Adolescents' Interest in Fantasy (2014, June 24)
Retrieved March 25, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/comparison-essay/bettelheim-theory-for-adolescents-interest-in-fantasy-153934/
MLA Format
"Bettelheim's Theory for Adolescents' Interest in Fantasy" 24 June 2014.
Web. 25 March. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/comparison-essay/bettelheim-theory-for-adolescents-interest-in-fantasy-153934/>