Fairy stories, or rather faery stories, are difficult to
define. J.R.R. Tolkien’s essay “On Fairy
Stories” addresses this. The thing I found most interesting in this essay was
the defining element of magic for fairy stories. Tolkien states “faerie itself
may most nearly be translated by Magic
-- but it is magic of a peculiar mood and power” (Tolkien 43). What
makes fairy stories so difficult to define, in my opinion, comes from this
abstract definition of magic. While the magic may be used sparingly or
profusely, its presence is enough for Tolkien to define the story as that of a
fairy story. What is most compelling about this theory is the vast literary territory
it covers. With such a loose interpretation, stories from C.S. Lewis are just
as much fairy stories as H.G. Well’s pieces. But if anything, I believe the
intent of the author and the interpretation of the reader are what best define
a story.
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