Much of fantasy written today is darker in
nature than what was popular in the 1950s and earlier. Most often that trend is
attributed to harder economic times with literature acting as a mirror of our collective
economic well-being. But beyond that, I’ve often wondered about the social implications of this shift in
fantasy content. Recently, I read an interesting article by Diane Wing,
entitled “Embrace the Darkness Within,” published in OM Times Magazine earlier
this month. That article helped answer my question. She claims we need to
embrace the dark side in order to survive.
The dark
side of humanity need not be evil; it is a source of power just as love
is. The dark force energies allow us to defend, to avoid negativity, to
prevent injustice, and to remove energies that do not serve us on our
path. Love can create brightness and the dark forces can create personal
power that when embraced, acknowledged, and honed, can show us the way to stand
up for what we believe and to come more fully into ourselves.
Allowing fantasy
fiction to illustrate the darker sides of human life helps readers explore and
consider these darker energies in a safe environment. Just as fiction often
contains positive themes that serve to model ethical and moral behavior, so too
does exposing the shadows teach life skills.
This can be likened to the balance
of Yin and Yang, masculine and feminine. We each possess light and dark within
our natures to different degrees. Exploring both of those sides in the
controlled environment of a fantasy story provides a safe means for an
individual to learn about himself/herself and be more in tune to that balance. Opening
to that delivers powerful knowledge of
the self, providing the impetus for personal development and
self-improvement. The darkness serves as a catalyst for growth. The
darkness is only detrimental when you choose to stay within it and not strive
for the glimmer of light that waits on the other side. The darkness of
fantasy fiction helps us to reject that which is not appropriate to our
well-being and serves to show us where we need development.
Additionally, writing fantasy
fiction with attention to dark forces makes the story more believable, one a
reader can relate to more easily. According to Wing, “Even love has its dark
side, such as jealousy or hatred, while darkness has its light by way of
defending and protecting. Everything is a blend. Nothing is
pure. We are a mixture of all energies. This gives us depth and the
ability to create in a multitude of ways.” Allowing our fantasy characters to
embrace that depth adds richness to the writing.
While darker fantasy plots and
characters do reflect our economy and remind us of hardships, there is a
greater good that lies within this trend—a balance of light and dark.
1 comment:
Such a great point, Marsha. I tend to like fantasy and UF that has an edgy and darker quality, but it only really impresses me when there is enough lightness/humor/etc. to even things out.
On the flip side, if a story is meant to be very light-hearted, it still looses some of its enjoyment for me when there's nothing dark countering that to give it depth.
I guess balance is good :)
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