Food and Fantasy Conclusion

Coming to the end of my blog I'd like to summarise what I've analysed and what the role of food plays in the fantasy genre. Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief along with J.k. Rowling's Harry Potter both utilise food as a tool to transition from a low-fantasy genre into a realm of high-fantasy. The low fantasy genre is a sub-genre of fantasy where magical elements disrupt the world of 'reality' whereas high-fantasy is a world separate from reality and has its own set of rules. The book that utilises food as a means of transition the most is Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Rowling combines common food with magical properties to gentle ease the reader into her magical world of Hogwarts. By focusing on a common aspect of reality the author can use this to lower the boundary of fantasy and reality and therefore, create a smooth transition into a more magical narrative.

I continued to look into food and what feelings it brings for the reader or protagonist. At first I had looked into Percy Jackson and how food relates back towards his mother's love and affection. Food for Percy is used as a means of comfort and as an anchor to his ever changing reality as he gets settled as a demigod. In contrast Roald Dahls' Charlie and the Chocolate Factory food is used as a way to show the disparity between the upper and low working class. However, despite this food is used a way to resemble hope, a way to show that anything can happen and, for Charlie, he received a golden ticket that would change his life. 

Overall, I have looked into the most popular children's books and I hope that you will have a better understanding of how the notion of food is used to invoke different aspects of children's literature. I hope this gives you a better sense and appreciate of food in literature... I mean, after all, who doesn't love food?


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