Bronwyn Beatty

Citation

Thesis Title
The currency of heroic fantasy : The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter from Ideology to Industry.

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Ms Beatty’s research considers the current popularity of the heroic fantasy genre through the books and films of The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. She addresses themes of consumerism, gender, and nationalism, using a combination of literary analysis and contextual discussion. Beatty contends that the hero’s moral behaviour and purposive journey provide readers with examples of meaningful actions and values, presenting a necessary fantasy of individual and collective stability. The genre of heroic fantasy is particularly open to diverse interpretations, and this accounts for the genre’s prominence at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Its reassuring images of individual and collective stability resonate at a time of global insecurity.

Supervisors
Associate Professor Jenny Lawn
Associate Professor Joe Grixti