The most interesting reading on this assignment in my opinion is Rhetorics of fantasy: Chapter 4, “The Irregulars: Subverting the Taxonomy.” I found this assigned reading most interesting because it describes what Mendlesohn thinks the book is trying to say, but how they do not say it properly. Mendlesohn proves how all of these writers of the fantasy stories start off with one story, but fail to prove the story and wander off and do not make anything clear in the end.
“The arrival, and the departure, of the owner is framed as both disruption and conclusion because his presence clarifies nothing” (Mendlesohn 249). This is Mendlesohn’s description of Wanderers and Islanders. Mendlesohn describes the movie as the owner plays no major role and has no meaning, he is just there.
“In Cockayne’s work, there are many unfinished stories; the tales are not contained within the pages” (Mendlesohn 251). Mendlesohn continues to discover these strange storylines that she believes make no sense and do not convey what they were originally trying to. When she mentions that the tales are not contained within the pages meaning that the author was not able to get to the point or convey what the purpose was within the story. I find her analysis of these unfinished fantasy stories interesting. Mendlesohn reads these stories in a different manner than most of us and finds the flaws in them.
“In “The Seagull Drovers,” that story is reconfigured into one of agency and opportunity, so that, for the second time we are forced to reconsider the story as a whole, to turn it around in our mind’s eye” (Mendlesohn 252). Farah explains the story as polysemic, where its meanings shift according to perspective which structures its liminality. Farah is disappointed in this ending as well which in her eyes: “remains to be discussed.” By this I believe that Mendlesohn means that the story has no clear ending, and should not have ended. She believes the story had more to explain in order to reach its full effect and understanding.\
“The location of the fantasyworld or otherworld shifts continuously within this novel. At its start, the ‘real’ world is clearly that of the cemetery; it is described as if it is the frameworld, the place that exists” (Mendlesohn 265). Mendlesohn claims this to be too predictable, it is laid out on a grid. I like her way of thinking here because she has noticed the structure of the story and was able to predict what will happen next.
“Paying attention, rather than location, is the key to being in a world, being aware of it to the degree that one can metaphorically give directions, but not so aware as to be continuously acknowledging it” (Mendlesohn 267). Mendlesohn is describing how Michael has learned not only to pay attention to Laura, but to live in this other world. Mendlesohn sees Michaels desire to work things out as the protagonist in the portal fantasy. Michael has been able to become native in his world.
I have found this reading interesting because it shows a side of fantasy stories that I had never seen before. Mendlesohn has come across these stories and saw their flaws in which they did not have a point in some scenarios and also some of them ended, in her opinion, too soon or in the wrong way.
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