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

Hurst, Edmund

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