Our Understanding Of The Complexities Of Existence example essay topic

Science Fiction and Fantasy Essay Science Fantasy -Fantasy is the discovery of the real world within the unreal, the credible within the incredible, it constructs new futures for the exploration of the great complexities of human existence, life, love, death and morality. Ursaula K. LeGuin Science fantasy is no doubt "the discovery of the real world within the unreal, the credible within the incredible, it... ". as quoted above by Ursaula K. LeGuin. We can clearly experience these concepts in Sara Douglass's "Battle Axe". Sara Douglass takes us on a magical journey though the created and magnificent lands of A char (Tencedor), though this journey we experience the thrills of discovering a new world, a world complicated by wars, race differences, life, love, religion, survival and so much more. It is a hard book to put down once picked up.

The creation of a real world within the unreal is evident before you even read one word of the story. There is a map of the world, on which the story is based, the features on the map (islands, hills, mountains, rivers, cities etc) in this unreal world are familiar to us, and therefore it does not alienate us from the unreal world that Sara Douglass has created. This world has a medieval feel to it with the clothing of the people, weapons being axes, swords, arrows, etc but with a twist of magic and enchantments. The Acharites people in the story are very much like people in our world in the medieval times. Though this technique of using combination of scenery and characters who feel: love, hate, hardships and more, it makes us believe in the people and the unreal world that has been made and makes us want to explore the part of the world that is not familiar to us, so we can relate to it more strongly and this helps to create a more intimate connection between the credible and the incredible worlds.

In the book we read that previously thousands of years ago the three races of Acharites, Icarii and Avar had lived in co existence but like some part of our own human existence we tend to be scared of things (living or non living) that we do not understand. This was the case with the Acharites who saw the Icarii and Avar people as a threat because they could use magic and therefore the Acharites waged war on the Icarii and Avar and confining them in to a small areas within the land, calling these who they did not understand the "Forbidden". Though out time false information was passed down from generation to generation about the forbidden. "The forbidden were evil. They worked magic". pg 498 As we read "Battle Axe" we realise the real enemy or forbidden are the Skraelings and SkraeBolds driven by their fearsome master Gorgrael to take over Tencedor and destroy everything in their path. The themes and events: good vs. evils, religion, complexities of human existence, life, death, love, in this unreal world are much like the events and themes that we face everyday.

This demonstrates the link between the credible within the incredible. Sara Douglass brilliantly demonstrates these themes and more, though the thoughtful use of characters and a storyline to match. The most obvious characters that we can see all these themes in is Axis Sun soar and Faraday, by observing what Axis suffers and struggles against in "Battle Axe" we can gain an understanding of what Sara Douglass was trying to address in the novel. They both started of believers of Art or but change to believers of the prophecy as they fought for: freedom, love, identity and more.

Douglass explains the complexities of human existence though Axis. As Axis discovers these complexities thought pain and di spar. He grows up with no parents, hated by his half-brother Borneheld and his uncle king Prim. Growing up the only person who he love and was like a father figure for him was the Brotherhood-Leader Jayme but later finding out that he had taken her mother to the Ice Alps and left her for dead because she had a affair with his father, making him wanting to kill Jayme.

"I don't know. But rest assured that one day I will ask them both-just before I slid their Throats". Referring to Jayme and Morison because they took his mother away. pg 477 Losing many men to the nightmare storm by Gorgrael, he overcame it and handled the next storm Gorgrael throw at him. Even though these events and others are negative it had given Axis great life experiences making him a better leader. I think this is a important point Sara Douglass is trying to convey that the complexities of human existence is hard to handle but you will come out of it a better person. The theme "love" is an important one.

Love gives strength hope, and is the light in the struggle in good vs. evil. We can see these though Faraday's eyes, her love guided Axis though hard times and because of her love he is alive. She has grown from a confused girl to a confident woman ready to take on the challenge posed by the prophecy. She risked her life by giving herself to Boreheld to prevent him from killing Axis. Axis also influences Faraday to say alive with his love for her. Axis realise she loves him instead of Boreheld.

Asking her to leave Boreheld to be by his side so still refuse because she still fear his death in Boreheld's hands. Reassuring him that one day she will be with him for the rest of her life "Let the ring bear witness. My vow blinds me to you. On the day that I am freed from my vows to Borneheld I will come to you" pg Change is the inevitable it is part of life, where the change is good or bad we must accept it.

In "Battle Axe" we see that change have increased our understanding of the complexities of existence, as we see the characters like Axis and Faraday in the story effected by changes and have grew stronger and overcome the bad. Even though the story is not reality we can learn from the themes of: love, life, death etc, to better our own lives, further more understand science fantasy and its concepts as quoted by Ursaula K. LeGuin..