Although fantasy novels may take place in fabulous, imaginary worlds, what makes them resonate so strongly with readers is often the inner reality: characters who have strengths and flaws, who feel emotions that strike our own hearts, and who confront questions and situations that echo our own. For many of us, that may include dealing with gender inequalities and expectations.

Today we are going to talk specifically about the inclusion of these elements in works of fantasy. There are of course many other inequalities and prejudices that may be confronted in works of fantasy but for the purposes of this conversation we will focus on gender-based issues. We will be presenting two different perspectives on the topic, and invite further conversation in the comments. We may continue with follow-up postings throughout the week; if there is a particular aspect of this conversation (or a tangent) that anyone finds particularly discussion-worthy please feel free to suggest it for a separate post.

First, Deva Fagan will discuss the contrasting options and advantages of those fantasy worlds in which gender inequalities are not emphasized, versus the many popular novels in which a young heroine proves herself “as good as a man”.



Deva Fagan:

Two of the books imprinted upon my story-telling consciousness at a very early age were The Lord of the Rings and Watership Down. Despite the fact that one was about hobbits saving the world and the other was about rabbits finding a new home, both these books impressed themselves upon me in a way that colors everything I've read and written ever since. I love them both, and still draw a lot of positive value from re-reading them. But even so, a part of me will always be that little girl wondering "Where are all the girl hobbits? Where are all the girl rabbits? Don't they get to have adventures too?"

Thus I will always be tremendously grateful for the other books I discovered soon after: The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley, and the Alanna books by Tamora Pierce. Aerin and Harry and Alanna might have to fight to prove themselves against the expectations of their respective societies, but they demonstrated quite clearly that the girls could slay dragons, defend their people and generally kick butt as well as the boys.

I will always be grateful that those books exist, and I do believe that they deserve to be read by future generations of readers. But over the years I've found there's another type of book I've come to value: stories in which the characters (male or female) live in worlds that do not feature strong inherent sexism, in which the the characters are dealing with different types of issues and challenges.

While it can be inspiring to see a girl prove herself "as good as a man", I also like to see her prove herself "a good person" or "a hero" or "remarkably clever and brave". Sexism and prejudice of all sorts do certainly live on in today's society, and we must not be blind to them. But it can also be interesting to explore alternatives.

For example, in Ysabeau Wilce's Flora Segunda, the protagonist Flora does have to struggle with expectations about what she will do with her life. Unlike some of the books mentioned above, however, Flora Segunda features a world in which women fill numerous powerful and important roles, particularly within the military. Flora's own mother is a General, and it is the expectation that Flora, too, will follow this path that is generates a share of the tension in the book. I personally would love to see more books like this, where young protagonists prove themselves against alternate backdrops, where they are not fighting against expectations based on gender.

I suspect it would be equally interesting to consider fantasy novels that feature male protagonists who act in ways counter to the expectations of their societies, but I must admit I am having some difficulties thinking of examples of this other than Rossamund, the "meek" boy "with a girl's name" from D. M. Cornish's inventive Monster Blood Tattoo series that begins with Foundling.

Deva Fagan
deva_fagan
www.devafagan.com
Fortune's Folly, Holt, April 2009



Ellen Oh will now continue with some of the themes from her previous TOTW posting on Fantasy in Asia, to discuss here the role of historical accuracy and what can be gained by including gender inequalities in the world of a fantasy novel.


Ellen Oh:

You can’t talk about historical accuracy in Asian themed novels without addressing the very sad state of women in Asia. Quite simply, the role of the female in eastern society is still not equal to that of the male. They don’t have the same rights, respect or position in society as men. And while times are slowly changing, the Asian mindset of a woman’s place has not fundamentally changed. It is the deep rooted societal preference for boys over girls in Asian countries which continues to be at the heart of the issue. The poor and ignorant who believe only a son can care for them in their old age, devalue their girls, leaving us grappling with horrific tales of death, abuse and sexual enslavement.

It is estimated that in the last decade, 8 million girls were aborted in China with another 10 million in India. This does not include the number of infant murders by families who believed that these were mercy killings because of the difficulties being female in poor parts of India (salon.com, Saved or Sacrificed). In India, the Hindu system of paying a dowry to the groom’s family in exchange for marriage, continues to cause numerous problems to brides and their families. The Indian government enacted the Dowry Prohibition Act in 1961 to address “bride burning” where new brides were harassed, killed or driven to commit suicide by husbands unhappy with the size of their bride’s dowry. While in the middle east, “honor killings” of women who have in some way dishonored their family, make up for a third of all violent deaths (CS Monitor, “Women Challenge Honor Killings”).

In China, where the government’s “one child only” mandate has led to the countless abandonment of Chinese girls in orphanages or worse, the Chinese now find themselves facing a deeper problem. Not enough women for all the men. Experts say that there has never been a bride shortage in world history as large as the one in China (CBSnews.com, China: Too Many Men). It has already led to social instability and the increase of crime as infant girls are kidnapped and trafficked across the county to become baby brides for men sometimes 30 or more years older.

How can a writer create an Asian themed novel if they do not consider these aspects of the culture they will write about? We must remember that these are societies where girls are so devalued that the act of killing or savagely maiming them, whether a fetus or a grown woman, is an everyday occurrence. An Asian female MC is an underdog, a character that must fight or manipulate a male-centric world. Which is not to say that you can’t have a strong female MC in an Asian fantasy novel; strong females are an important backbone of Asian society. But it must be portrayed against the backdrop of male dominant world. A world that is increasingly violent against women.

So the recent spate of strong Asian female protagonists in a fantasy novel is one that I celebrate and embrace. No longer are Asian women simply concubines or useless ornamentation. Cindy Pon’s determined heroine, the beautiful Ai Ling in the Silver Phoenix, refuses to allow a man to dictate her life while Nahoko Uehashi’s Moribito has one of the most formidable female warriors I have had the pleasure of reading about. But a protagonist doesn’t have to be powerful or beautiful to be strong. Like the remarkable illiterate slave girl Ping in Wilkerson’s Dragonkeeper series or the lame protagonist Eon in Alison Goodman’s book of the same title, both of whom must deal with other adversities besides their gender. They are all an inspiration to many young Asian girls trapped between the societal view of a woman’s worth and their true value.

Girls all around the world need heroes to look up to. I hope these books are a sign of the changing times. I hope they prove to publishers that Asian themed novels can be successful. May there be many more to come. Maybe then the new wave of strong female MCs in Asian themed novels will move out of the realm of fantasy and into the world of reality.

Ellen Oh
ellen_oh
www.ellenoh.com



And now to all our fellow Inkies and Watchers, we open up the topic for discussion:

What books dealing with these issues did you read as a child? What were your reactions? What were and are your favorites?

What other examples of fantasy novels dealing with characters going against societial gender expectations (either male or female) can you suggest?

Do you prefer one of these types of stories more than the other, and if so, can you identify why that is?

Can you suggest any other fantasy books for younger readers that depict fantasy societies in which men and women are on an equal footing?