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Dawnsmoke and the influence of character tropes on the construction of fantasy fiction

Hurst, Edmund

Authors



Contributors

Martin Goodman
Supervisor

Abstract

This thesis is formed of a fantasy novel, Dawnsmoke, and an exegesis that will examine the role played by character tropes on the creation of the three principal protagonists in Dawnsmoke.

Dawnsmoke interweaves three narrative strands from a diverse set of principal protagonists. Luke, Samantha and Kain combine narratives in order to tell the story of Arx, a city where fire burns blue and memories can be trapped in metal. Told through three distinct third-person-limited voices, this novel explores the concept of self-induced memory loss, isolation and the price of heroism.

The exegesis considers the definitions of fantasy offered by C. N. Manlove, W. R. Irwin, T. E. Apter, Tzvetan Todorov and Rosemary Jackson and contrasts these definitions with modern considerations from Neil Gaiman, George R. R. Martin, Ursula LeGuin and Kazuo Ishiguro. It posits a definition of fantasy literature that encompasses the traditions that Dawnsmoke shares. It analyses the impact of specific sub-genres on the character norms in Dawnsmoke. It examines the inception of Luke, Samantha and Kain in relation to common character tropes and how the subversion of these thematic expectations impacts the narrative arc of each character. It observes the techniques used in crafting unique voices for each character. It concludes with an examination of the resolution of each protagonist’s journey.

Citation

Hurst, E. (2017). Dawnsmoke and the influence of character tropes on the construction of fantasy fiction. (Thesis). University of Hull. Retrieved from https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4220796

Thesis Type Thesis
Deposit Date Oct 17, 2018
Publicly Available Date Feb 23, 2023
Keywords Creative writing; English
Public URL https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4220796
Additional Information Department of English, The University of Hull
Award Date Jun 1, 2017

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Copyright Statement
© 2017 Hurst, Edmund. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the copyright holder.




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