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What do you think of the argument that Ebony Elizabeth Thomas is making here?
Performance of Children's Literature Fall 2024
CASD 1717 – Fall 2024
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17 responses to “Theorizing Fantasy”
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She talks about the value of representation and diversity in children’s books, especially in the fantasy genre. She contends that novels written for young readers frequently mirror prejudices in society, which results in underrepresentation of underrepresented groups. Thomas draws attention to the ways in which these exclusions affect not only children from disadvantaged backgrounds but also the identities and imaginations of all children. She stresses that fantasy should be an inclusive environment where kids may envision themselves as heroes in fantastical and magical worlds. Because it emphasizes how literature molds young brains and the larger societal narratives about who belongs in stories of adventure and heroism, her thesis is persuasive. By encouraging publishers and producers to reconsider whose tales are published and honored, Thomas’s arguments support more inclusive storytelling.
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I agree because her main factors were how valuable representation and diversity were in children’s books, they are important themes to include especially towards a younger audience who is just beginning to understand real world aspects. I also agree with how important it is and valuable for children to read about fantasy because it opens the imagination and creativity of young children.
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She talks about diversity and representation in children’s books, particularly the fantasy genre. She continues on saying that for young people there can be prejudices that are mirrored through society. This can result in certain underrepresentation of groups. These exclusions affect children of all backgrounds, especially those children that come from disadvantaged backgrounds. It affects how children identify and view themselves. She stresses that fantasy should be an environment that is inclusive of everyone. It should be a place where any child can imagine themselves as any character they want in these magical worlds. Literature has continuously molded young children’s brains about who belongs in these stories and those who don’t belong. Thomas’s arguments definitely support more inclusive storytelling .
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I think that the argument that Ebony Elizabeth is making in this video is an important and significant topic today. She discusses the lack of representation of Black children in fantasy and children’s books and shows. This is increasingly important because children from all over the world are viewing these works of art, and not being able to see someone who looks like yourself can really downplay who you are and your self-worth. Ebony goes on to explain how the only representation that we get for people of color is often negative and follows the stereotypical ideals we have about people. This impacts young kids, as they are very impressionable; being told to think of a group of people a certain way will really affect their mindsets now and in the future. Overall, it is important that we have inclusivity of all people fairly so that kids can have a figure to look up to and admire at young ages.
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Well said. Ebony’s point is extremely important. Stories of all types of genres should represent different communities. People enjoy television and literature often as a way to feel understood and represented. Representing different cultures, ethnicities, races, and religions through literature should be done in a way that is respectful and accurate to all.
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I believe that Ebony Elizabeth Thomas argument is significantly important. We don’t have a lot of books/movies that portray people of color. I think it’s important for the young community to see their value through books and movies. Part of who you are is the way society sees you. Adding a more positive image to people of color can absolutely change the generation to come. I’m a teacher and I’ve heard it myself that too many princesses are not of color. Though we have started to incorporate princesses of color, I think it absolutely builds children’s self esteem. I believe including everyone into a positive view, can absolutely bring society together.
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In the video, Ebony Elizabeth Thomas says fantasy books often leave out characters of color or don’t show them in a way that feels real. This makes it harder for kids of color to imagine themselves as heroes in magical stories. Even when diverse characters are included, they can seem out of place if their backgrounds aren’t written well.
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I think that the argument Ebony Elizabeth Thomas is making is very important as it leans towards diversity and the overall lack of representation of childrens books. Thomas mentions the signficant role fantasy plays towards childrens books and how environments and inclusive storytelling factor into this. Overall, I agree with her argument because this will open up a new world for children’s literature books to become more inclusive of culture, diversity, representation and identity, and more, all that are significant roles in society and topics that can implement universal themes to young audiences that are inclusive and welcoming.
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First, I have to say it was so interesting to listen to her speak! you can hear how passionate she is about her work, and as the host says at the end of the video, it’s always good to hear stories of people who win. I very much liked her argument and the way she presented it. She is right – the lack of diverse representation in children’s literature creates an “imagination gap,” which limits the ways black children can see themselves in magical and adventurous narratives. She also critiques the dominance of trauma-focused stories about black characters (which we talked about in class a little). I agree with her that stories should celebrate joy, whimsy, and fantasy and not only be trauma-focused.
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I think that the argument that Ebony Elizabeth Thomas is making is highly important and truthful because her argument is centered on how blacks girls and women are often relegated from central roles in fantastical narratives or presented through limiting stereotypes. She also discusses how these portrayals affect black readers sense of belonging in the imaginative worlds of fantasy and calls for more inclusive and diverse storytelling. This even happens in movies also.
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I believe her argument is very important as it reveals the issues we have today. She is fully correct that children’s literature lacks having diversity shown and can harm a childs perception of themselves. Innocent children may not fully understand the idea of WHY they do not look like some of their favorite characters in books but they are smart enough to conceptualize the idea that they may not look like anyone in the books the read which could raise the question to them and harm their own thinking especially as they grow up and realize it more.
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Dr. Ebony Elizabeth Thomas talks about how Black girls are often left out of young adult fantasy and sci-fi stories, which affects how they see themselves in those kinds of worlds. She explains why it’s important to have more books where Black girls are the main characters in these stories, which can be empowering. I agree with her personally because fantasy was one of my favorite genres, and I was so used to the main characters all being white. I honestly didn’t question it as much, but now that I’m older, I would’ve loved to see a story I could relate to. The imagination gap is a term I haven’t heard of, but that’s the perfect term for what I was going through and what is going on when stories aren’t as diverse. Having diverse stories will always help people feel included. I think adding more representation in young adult books would make the genre much better and can help show different perspectives that can reflect more people’s experiences.
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Her argument is about the lack of diversity in children’s books and shows. She said that even though she was black, when she imagined “adventure, magic, transcendence and happily ever afters, was very white” because there were only white people in the media at that time. She also said that she became a fan of Harry Potter because of black character in it. She also mentioned some books such as The Hunger Games and The Vampire Diaries because they also include some black characters in books and as she said she just wants to look at them from black perspective because black people are also included in this culture.
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I think Ebony Elizabeth’s argument is crucial because it shows how underrepresented groups are in children’s fantasy fiction. She says that these stories hurt poor kids and their identities because they often show social stereotypes. Ebony says that fantasy should include everyone so that kids can picture themselves as heroes. Thomas urges publishers and producers to reconsider the selection and appreciation of stories. This is crucial as it shapes children’s perspectives and provides them with a role model.
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I totally agree with you about Ebony Elizabeths ideas.
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Speculative fiction where there are characters representing marginalized communities is very powerful because the child reading it may or may not understand the walls the world will put up yet and they are already being shown that anything is possible/they can conquer these barriers. The fantasy genre makes it magical and allows them to see themselves as powerful beyond the ordinary.
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What do you think of the argument that Ebony Elizabeth Thomas is making here?
Ebony elizabeth thomas is arguing speculative fiction. Which is deeper understand and meaning to the stories being told to the children. Its powerful because children can interpret a story in many ways and run with their perspective.
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