Fantastic: Uncanny and/ or Marvelous in the Relief after the Grief

Author
Abolfazl Horri
Instructor, English Department, Arak University
Abstract
This paper examines two modes of fantastic genre, i.e uncanny and marvelous, with regard to the stories of Tanookhi's the Relief after the Grief. We will start by a discussion of Todorov's work on the 'fantastic'. In doing so, the etymology of the keywords and the review of literature are also given. Then, it is referred to Todorovian structural approach to 'the fantastic'. Due to this approach, it is told that in the fantastic stories of the book (sometimes titled as "keraamaat" genre), the reader has to experience the world described as a possible or impossible world full of fear and strange: depending on the readers to explain the occurrence of strange events naturally or supernaturally, the stories may undergo the category of uncanny or marvelous, respectfully. Finally, as conclusion and new results, it is said that in the Relief after the Grief: 1) the focus is on one central character as the center for all events 2) events of the stories are seen through the focal point of this character as the main narrator- focalizer and 3) The reader’s point of view should be that of the central character and the events should be focalized through his eyes.

Keywords

Subjects

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Literary Criticism
Volume 1, Issue 4
Autumn 2008
Pages 1-216