Dissecting Dragons: Episode 166: The Problem of Susan - Wayward Children in Fantasy Fiction

Episode 166: The Problem of Susan - Wayward Children in Fantasy Fiction

 

Who doesn't love, or at the very least grow up with, children's fantasy whereby a young protagonist was spirited away to another world? There are many examples of this type of fiction and the narrative is almost always one of the protagonist both helping with the problems of that other world but also getting back to their own world. As enchanting as many of these pieces of fiction are, there is a troubling subtext, especially in the older examples and especially in regards to female characters. This week the dragons take a look at these lost children who get found, and what that entails for both character development and potentially sending a message the author may not have intended. On the slap this week - The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S.Lewis, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie, Wayward Children by Seanan McGuire and many more.

 

Title Music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic