Study Of Todorov’s Literature Theory Of Fantasy

Introduction à la littérature fantastique is a work on western fantasy literature in the 19 th century by French literary theorist Zvetan Todorov,which has made outstanding contributions to the study of fantas y literature and literary genre.This paper chooses Todorov’s fantasy literature theory as the study object,systematically interprets Todorov’s literary genre theory and fantasy novel theory.This paper mainly discusses the following viewpoints:First,Todorov’s fantasy genre research inherits the genre theory of Russian formalism on object of study,viewpoint and method,and continues his for its own structure system of structuralist literary criticism in theory and methodology.Introduction à la littérature fantastique is not only an important work about the fantasy literary,but also an example of structuralism criticism.Secondly,Todorov defined fantasy literature as "hesitation" and uncertainty when people face supernatural phenomena in real life.The real and credible reality is the background,supernatural events are the main content,and "hesitation" is the core of fantasy literature.Thirdly,Todorov studied three adjacent literary genres: uncanny,fantasy and miraculous through comparison,suggesting the criticality and complexity of fantasy literature genre.Fourthly,Todorov distinguished three ways of reading: poetic,allegorical and fantastical,and explains that fa ntastical reading needs the constructional reading way of fiction.Fifthly,fantasy texts have their own structural features in terms of speech,syntax and semantics: the extreme of hyperbole and figurative rhetoric;the narrator and the expository first-person narrator "I" are one;supernatural elements rapidly alter the narrative balance;the "vague" style created by the specific linguistic pattern of fantasy;the thinking mode of "pan-determinism" in fantasy literature implies the looseness of the boundary between spirit and matter,and expresses the theme of ego(the relationship between man and the world)and the theme of otherness(the relationship between man and man).Sixth,the function of paranormal elements in fantasy literature lies in violating rationality and social values,challenging the readers’ way of understanding the world,and expressing the true,the good and the beautiful.In the 20 th century,fantasy has become the normal state of daily life and people,and supernatural narration has t he "broad fantasy" meaning.Seventh,although the 19 th century western fantasy genre Todorov discussed is different from today’s fantasy genre,its structuralism and formalism research methods and the definition of fantasy genre are still enlightening to C hinese literary criticism in the new century.