READ,WRITE & LIVE YOUR TRUTH

Tag: #FantasyBooks

  • What is Real? Harry Potter Knows. Do You?

    E.G. Kardos

    “Tell me one last thing,” said Harry. “Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?”

    Dumbledore beamed at him, and his voice sounded loud and strong in Harry’s ears even though the bright mist was descending again, obscuring his figure.

    “Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”

    ― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

    What is real? What is merely just in our heads? I love this quote, not just because I enjoy reading and writing fantasy, but because the question of what is real and what is happening in our heads extends far into our own thoughts and feelings more than, perhaps, we realize.

    Sometimes we act on the thoughts in our heads by moving them to the “real” world. Other times, our thoughts sit idling in our heads always to live there and never to see the light of day.

    But could both scenarios be real?

    Here’s how I interpret this scene in the book and movie:

    grey concrete castle under blue sky during daytime

    “Tell me one last thing,” said Harry. “Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?”

    Photo by Jules Marvin Eguilos

    Like most of us from time to time, Harry is unsure of himself and confused about what’s going on around him at that very moment. Or, could it be that he may be a bit fuzzy about all the experiences he has had since he first talked to the snake at the zoo? What’ more, he knows Dumbledore is dead, but he’s with him as they say, in the flesh—talking with him. If it were me, I’d be asking the same thing.

    After all, Harry’s a teenager still full of questions rather than answers. Knowing he’s the chosen one, and having been involved in countless supernatural events, doesn’t give him unlimited insights about everything. He keeps questioning his life, as he should.

    So when he asks, “Is this real?” what does he mean when he uses the word “this”? I’d like it to mean his entire adventure, his long journey, as well as that specific moment.

    But why would he ask, “…has this been happening inside his head?” when the person he’s talking to could also be in his head? Again, I have to believe that Harry is talking about his journey as he has attempted to understand it since he first arrived at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry.

    But that’s when Dumbledore says so matter-of-factly…

    “Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry,…”

    But the defining moment comes when Dumbledore finishes his sentence and says,

    “… but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”

    So, what is real? According to the “greatest wizard who ever lived”? Simply put, everything.

    And that’s all Harry needed to hear to complete his task.

    As the wise wizard, he might be saying more

    Dumbledore might be talking to Harry, but he’s also talking to us. He might be saying to us as well that what we find inside ourselves is real as well. We might not be able to touch it, smell it, hear it, taste it, or see it, but it’s as real as we are.

    It’s how we interpret life that makes it magical—or not.

    I love this quote because it makes so much sense to me. The magic of our lives isn’t what’s right in front of us; it’s how we feel about what’s right in front of us. Our emotions are powerful, and they drive our actions.

    When we feel strongly about something, we do something about it even if it seems impossible. We act out of love, we act out of fear, or with great hope. Sometimes we act with anger or despair, but we always act on what is in front of us because of what is inside our head—and heart. Our emotions make it real.

    If a thought is not in our heads, where else would we find the inspiration, drive, or desire to act? 

    One may not agree with me or may have an entirely different interpretation of this quote, and that is fine…no, that’s wonderful. Let me know what you think.

    If you like this post, you may like: Fantasy Fiction and Real Life are the Same, Mentors in Young Adult Fantasy, The Fantasy Trilogy: Saving the World One Book at a Time, or the Category, About Fantasy.

    About E.G. Kardos

    I am a fiction writer and the author of five books. My writing draws inspiration from the beauty surrounding us all—both in nature and in each other. Spirituality, friendship, love, and our connection to the universe inspire me to write.  Here’s more about me and my books.

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  • Fantasy Fiction and Real Life are the Same

    E.G. Kardos

    I’m certain that fantasy fiction and real life are inseparable.  First of all, I should say that real life is full of conflict, split-second decisions, emotional upheavals, villains, and monsters. Real life is about doom, redemption, joy, and sorrow. Loss, power, injustices, and morality are all part of real life.

    Unless you are completely unacquainted with fantasy fiction or movies, you will agree that fantasy fiction includes all the above and more.

    Thus, fantasy fiction and real life are one and the same.

    But some readers and critics say fantasy fiction is mere escapism. They want something “real”. Well, I’ll say it is a good escape as are other sub genres in fiction, but it is so much more than that. It is about real-life issues, but most time these real-life issues are displayed with more color and, perhaps, in a more satisfying way. There, I said it.

    It’s a Mirror

    Night fantasy image of mystic woman riding deer in magical forest illumination . Sublime Generative AI image .

    In fantasy fiction, writers use supernatural, whimsical, and bizarre settings primarily to reflect our lives and everything within them in a relatable and intriguing way.

    Dragons aren’t just creatures that spit fire; they symbolize something larger and sometimes more sinister. Other times they represent something entirely the opposite. The evil sorcerer isn’t just some strange outsider to ignore but represents the evil and injustices we should stand against. Living in 2025, we should be able to connect with, as well as look for such symbolism in fantasy fiction.

    Universal Themes

    If you’re human, you can relate to themes such as power, loss, social injustice, death, birth, love, and hope. Using symbolism the author shines a light on these themes as they are brought to life for the reader to ponder, but with some distance. This distance is what lies between the symbol and what it represents. It makes us think—to feel—rather than the representation being spelled out.

    This distance is powerful. 

    The reason readers keep coming back to fantasy and fiction of all sorts is that universal themes are the engine that propels not only a good story, but gives our lives substance.

    Here’s Why Fantasy Fiction Can Feel so Much Like Real Life

    Commentary of our world

    You may have heard the term “world-building”. Authors may design a fictional world to critique real-world social structures to include the political climate, the social focus and the internal landscape within the character to project a very human story.

    Sometimes these worlds depict oppression, rebellion, inequality, and other injustices. These fantastical worlds are thought-provoking and real.

    Belief Systems

    We all have them. The structures we need to build walls around our lives and to make sense of them. Hopefully, these walls have doors and arches so that we may pass through them and attempt to understand other belief systems that we don’t hold as our own.

    These structures are religions, politics, and various other associations we “need” or seek out in our lives. Fantasy fiction uses these structures that are near and dear to us to tell a story. Good versus evil comes to mind.

    Basic Human Emotions

    Fantasy stories are deeply embedded in the human experiences. Love and loss, trust and betrayal, ambition and indifference and the mere struggles we have getting from one point to another.

    The Characters

    Like in all fiction, fantasy fiction allows us to experience life through the eyes of a character that we have come to love, and by doing so, we feel for that character. Our empathy grows while reading fantasy fiction we become the hero of the journey. As our compassion grows we begin to understand and are open to others and their struggles beyond the fantasy workd and into the real world.

    Although fantasy fiction on the surface seems to many as pure escapism, it is so much more as it reflects our own lives and the world we live in. Like other types of fiction, the aim of the author is similar, but fantasy writers choose to use other ways to tell the story.

    Fantasy fiction and real life are the same. There is no way to get around that.

    Other posts about fantasy: Why Fantasy is. a Good Read, The Time We Have, From a Struggling Reader to a Writer of Fantasy, About Fantasy (category)

    About E.G. Kardos

    I am a fiction writer and the author of five books. My writing draws inspiration from the beauty surrounding us all—both in nature and in each other. Spirituality, friendship, love, and our connection to the universe inspire me to write.  Here’s more about me and my books.

    Latest Posts

    Most Viewed Posts

    Please notify me when you publish a new blog post.
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