Fantastical narratives such as fairy tales and magical realist literature utilizes fantastic and intangible spaces to unpack that which is often beyond the limitations imposed on our understanding by reality: the stunting experience of individual and generational traumas. This study aims to contribute to the current literary discourse’s understandings of fantastic literature and its subgenres as a tool for healing from trauma through the application of ontological notions of Selfhood and Otherness supplied by 20th century philosopher, Paul Ricoeur, and the notion of Orientalism by postcolonial scholar, Edward Said. The dialogue generated by these schools of thought provide a space in which I unpack the narrative structures unique to fantastical genres through psychoanalytic, feminist, and postcolonial literary theories.
","abstract_html":"<p>Fantastical narratives such as fairy tales and magical realist literature utilizes fantastic and intangible spaces to unpack that which is often beyond the limitations imposed on our understanding by reality: the stunting experience of individual and generational traumas. This study aims to contribute to the current literary discourse’s understandings of fantastic literature and its subgenres as a tool for healing from trauma through the application of ontological notions of Selfhood and Otherness supplied by 20th century philosopher, Paul Ricoeur, and the notion of Orientalism by postcolonial scholar, Edward Said. The dialogue generated by these schools of thought provide a space in which I unpack the narrative structures unique to fantastical genres through psychoanalytic, feminist, and postcolonial literary theories.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Izard, Rebekah"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Arts (MA)","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"English","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Justine Van Meter","Joanna Levin","Lynda Hall"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2023,"date_issued":"2023-05-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2023-05-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:38:31Z","subjects":["fantastic","fairy tale","magical realism","orientalism","selfhood","other","African American Studies","Cognition and Perception","Cognitive Psychology","Community Psychology","European Languages and Societies","Literature in English, British Isles","Literature in English, North America","Literature in English, North America, Ethnic and Cultural Minority","Other Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies","Other Psychology","Social Justice","Social Psychology","Theory and Philosophy","Women's Studies"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/english_theses/60","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Justine Van Meter","Joanna Levin","Lynda Hall"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Izard, Rebekah"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["English"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts (MA)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["fantastic","fairy tale","magical realism","orientalism","selfhood","other","African American Studies","Cognition and Perception","Cognitive Psychology","Community Psychology","European Languages and Societies","Literature in English, British Isles","Literature in English, North America","Literature in English, North America, Ethnic and Cultural Minority","Other Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies","Other Psychology","Social Justice","Social Psychology","Theory and Philosophy","Women's Studies"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/english_theses/60"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Fantastical narratives such as fairy tales and magical realist literature utilizes fantastic and intangible spaces to unpack that which is often beyond the limitations imposed on our understanding by reality: the stunting experience of individual and generational traumas. This study aims to contribute to the current literary discourse’s understandings of fantastic literature and its subgenres as a tool for healing from trauma through the application of ontological notions of Selfhood and Otherness supplied by 20th century philosopher, Paul Ricoeur, and the notion of Orientalism by postcolonial scholar, Edward Said. The dialogue generated by these schools of thought provide a space in which I unpack the narrative structures unique to fantastical genres through psychoanalytic, feminist, and postcolonial literary theories.
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"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/english_theses/60"],"dc:source":["Izard, Bekah D. Steps Toward Healing from the Possessive Other: The Vital Role of Fantastical Literature in Trauma Theory. 2023. Chapman University, MA Thesis. Chapman University Digital Commons, https://doi.org/10.36837/chapman.000459"],"dc:subject":["fantastic","fairy tale","magical realism","orientalism","selfhood","other","African American Studies","Cognition and Perception","Cognitive Psychology","Community Psychology","European Languages and Societies","Literature in English, British Isles","Literature in English, North America","Literature in English, North America, Ethnic and Cultural Minority","Other Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies","Other Psychology","Social Justice","Social Psychology","Theory and Philosophy","Women's Studies"],"dc:title":["Steps Toward Healing from the Possessive Other: The Vital Role of Fantastical Literature in Trauma Theory"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["English"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts (MA)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:38:31Z"}