{"id":{"repo_id":"mo-state","oai_identifier":"oai:bearworks.missouristate.edu:theses-2081"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/mo-state/oai:bearworks.missouristate.edu:theses-2081","repository":{"repo_id":"mo-state","name":"Missouri State University","base_url":"https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"Accepting the Unacceptable: Textual Accessibility in Baum's Oz Books, L'Engle's Time Quartet, and Rowling's Harry Potter Series","abstract":"The genre of fantastical literature is subject to many misconceptions, and audiences often find the reading of such texts difficult because they require refers to as a willing suspension of disbelief. Some fantastical works, however, are much more accessible. L. Frank Baum’s Oz book, Madeleine L’Engle’s Time quartet, and J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series are accessible to the reader because the protagonists begin their journeys in the reader’s familiar reality. Dorothy Gale, the Murry children and Harry Potter all live in the real world before their adventures begin. Additionally, each series creates textual accessibility by establishing a sense of familiarity within the setting. Baum’s Oz is the American fairy tale, and the setting contains creatures that a Western reader would find familiar. L’Engle creates a familiar world by building on the traditional Christian ideology held by many readers. Finally, Rowling creates accessibility in Harry Potter by detailing the rules and limits to the magical world. Understanding how authors establish textural accessibility in these three series offers a real explanation to their popular success and insight into why some fantastical literature is so well received by mainstream audiences.","abstract_html":"The genre of fantastical literature is subject to many misconceptions, and audiences often find the reading of such texts difficult because they require refers to as a willing suspension of disbelief. Some fantastical works, however, are much more accessible. L. Frank Baum’s Oz book, Madeleine L’Engle’s Time quartet, and J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series are accessible to the reader because the protagonists begin their journeys in the reader’s familiar reality. Dorothy Gale, the Murry children and Harry Potter all live in the real world before their adventures begin. Additionally, each series creates textual accessibility by establishing a sense of familiarity within the setting. Baum’s Oz is the American fairy tale, and the setting contains creatures that a Western reader would find familiar. L’Engle creates a familiar world by building on the traditional Christian ideology held by many readers. Finally, Rowling creates accessibility in Harry Potter by detailing the rules and limits to the magical world. Understanding how authors establish textural accessibility in these three series offers a real explanation to their popular success and insight into why some fantastical literature is so well received by mainstream audiences.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Smith, Melissa"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Arts in English","degree_level":"Masters","degree_discipline":"English","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Joel Chaston"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2005,"date_issued":"2005-07-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2005-07-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:16:06Z","subjects":["children's literature","young adult literature","fantasy","willing suspension of disbelief","Frank L. Baum","Madeleine L'Engle","J.K. Rowling","English Language and Literature"],"languages":[],"rights":["© Melissa Smith"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/1080","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Joel Chaston"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Smith, Melissa"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["English"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts in English"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["children's literature","young adult literature","fantasy","willing suspension of disbelief","Frank L. 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Dorothy Gale, the Murry children and Harry Potter all live in the real world before their adventures begin. Additionally, each series creates textual accessibility by establishing a sense of familiarity within the setting. Baum’s Oz is the American fairy tale, and the setting contains creatures that a Western reader would find familiar. L’Engle creates a familiar world by building on the traditional Christian ideology held by many readers. Finally, Rowling creates accessibility in Harry Potter by detailing the rules and limits to the magical world. Understanding how authors establish textural accessibility in these three series offers a real explanation to their popular success and insight into why some fantastical literature is so well received by mainstream audiences."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Accepting the Unacceptable: Textual Accessibility in Baum's Oz Books, L'Engle's Time Quartet, and Rowling's Harry Potter Series"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Joel Chaston"],"dc:creator":["Smith, Melissa"],"dc:description.abstract":["The genre of fantastical literature is subject to many misconceptions, and audiences often find the reading of such texts difficult because they require refers to as a willing suspension of disbelief. Some fantastical works, however, are much more accessible. L. Frank Baum’s Oz book, Madeleine L’Engle’s Time quartet, and J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series are accessible to the reader because the protagonists begin their journeys in the reader’s familiar reality. Dorothy Gale, the Murry children and Harry Potter all live in the real world before their adventures begin. Additionally, each series creates textual accessibility by establishing a sense of familiarity within the setting. Baum’s Oz is the American fairy tale, and the setting contains creatures that a Western reader would find familiar. L’Engle creates a familiar world by building on the traditional Christian ideology held by many readers. Finally, Rowling creates accessibility in Harry Potter by detailing the rules and limits to the magical world. Understanding how authors establish textural accessibility in these three series offers a real explanation to their popular success and insight into why some fantastical literature is so well received by mainstream audiences."],"dc:identifier":["https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/1080"],"dc:rights":["© Melissa Smith"],"dc:subject":["children's literature","young adult literature","fantasy","willing suspension of disbelief","Frank L. 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