Tasia Tully
English 112B
Professor Warner
December 6, 2006
THE USE OF MAGIC TO FIGHT EVIL
Science Fiction and Fantasy novels are loved for the adventures that take place in different worlds-usually a battle of some kind. Yet, what kind of battle it is and how it is fought is what is truly intriguing. Was there some kind of super creature or special weapon? Sometimes there is neither of things, but there is magic. Magic can be used by any individual good or bad, but in Science Fiction/Fantasy books the good tend to use it to defeat the evil that is attempting to do harm.
After reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch I became more aware of this theme in Science Fiction and Fantasy novels. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling is a prime example of how magic both good and evil is used, but how good magic wins. In this series Harry is constantly battling with the notorious Lord Voldemort, and he is constantly defeating him. At the end of the novel, Harry touches him and Lord Voldemort starts to burn away, and the reason for this is because of the magic inside Harry, given to him by his mother when she died.
With The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch by Joseph Delaney, the main character Tom is learning how to use magic to bind boggarts, and get rid of pesky witches that may be lurking about. Rather than casting spell to get rid of the evil witch, Tom makes a potion of iron and salt and uses that to weaken her, and then he lets the pigs do the rest.
Fighting evil is present in other genres, but it is the most fun in Science Fiction and Fantasy. It is for this reason I chose this genre and theme. The notion that magic can be used to fight evil is prevalent in all of these texts and the television series.
Brooks, Terry. The Scions of Shannara. New York: Random House Publishing, Inc.,
1990.
Three hundred years have gone by since Allanon has died, and the Four Lands are no longer the same. The Elves have disappeared, and the Dwarves are enslaved. The Federations rule over the Southland is over, and magic is forbidden. Yet Par Ohmsford, descendent of the fabled Shea, still has some of the power of the Wishsong. They are arrested by a Seeker for using magic, but escape with the aid of Padishar Creel. On their way to the Rainbow Lake, a hag-woman approaches them, but a man comes along and gets rid of her. He tells them that she is a Shadowen--known only in rumors until then--and that she brings trouble to all. He also comes bearing news demanding that Par appear at the dread Hadeshorn, where more will be revealed. Then he leaves to summon the other Scions of Shannara--Wren, who lives in the Westlands and Walker Boh, somewhere in the Eastlands. Eventually they all meet at the Hadeshorn. There Allanon's reveals a terrible future where Shadowen have destroyed all life in the Four Lands. To stop this from happening he orders Par to retrieve the long-lost Sword of Shannara, Wren to find the vanished Elves, and Walker Boh to bring back the Druids and their old, vanished stronghold of Paranor.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Complete Seventh Season on DVD. Dir. Joss Whedon et
al. Perf. Sarah Michelle Gellar, Alyson Hannigan, Nicholas Brendon, Anthony Stewart Head, Michelle Trachtenberg, James Marsters, Emma Caulfield. DVD. Twentieth Century Fox Television, 2003. 990 min.
Buffy Summers is the "chosen one." She is the Slayer, not just of vampires, but demons, and other types of evil from around the world. Each episode Buffy Summers and her group of friends, a.k.a "the scoobies" battle vampires, magic spells, demons, trolls, and sometimes each other, all in the effort to save the world. In the seventh season the world is getting ready to come to an end and Buffy will use, and do whatever she can to stop it.
Charmed. Dir. John Kretchmer et al. Perf. Shannon Doherty, Holly Marie Combs,
Alyssa Milano. DVD. Paramount Pictures, 1998-99. 972 min.
Three sisters unexpectedly receive magical powers. Their fate is to fight against demons and warlocks. They were separated before, but now they are together, the most powerful witches on earth - the charmed ones. Their grand grand grand grandmother Melinda Warren was the witch of their family. Their mother, Patty Halliwell, died in a fight against a monster. Their father, Victor Bannet, left them when they were little. Their grandmother, Penny Halliwell, took care of them. But she died too. And now the fate is in Prue's, Piper's and Phoebe's hands.
(http://monikascharmed.freeservers.com/about.html)
Delaney, Joseph. The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch. New York: Greenwillow
Books, 2005.
Tom Ward is the seventh son, of a seventh son, who works on a farm until he becomes the Spook's apprentice. The Spook rids towns and villages of evil witches, boggarts, ghosts and other "things that go bump in the night" (Delaney 3). Old Gregory will not be around forever and needs an apprentice that can handle the job as well as the life style that goes with it. Many apprentices have already tried, but failed, left, or did not manage to stay alive. Will Tom be up for the challenge? Or will he ignore the Spook's advice to stay away from girls with pointy shoes?
Lewis, C.S.. The Chronicles of Narnia. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1950.
The Chronicles of Narnia, "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe" is about an enchanted land called Narnia, which at first is controlled by the White Witch who makes it always winter, that is until the four Pevensie children stumble upon this magical place. The White Witch brain washes the youngest brother, Edward, to aid her in finding his siblings and their camp where the creator of Narnia is rumored to be staying. Aslan the lion, is the Pevensie children's ally, and the only creature truly powerful enough to defeat the White Witch. In order to get Edward back, Aslan sacrifices himself and is therefore killed by the White Witch. However, the black magic the White Witch uses can only be satisfied by the blood of the traitor, not the sacrifice of another and this causes the magic to be undone and Aslan comes back from the dead. After this is he is able with the help of the children to defeat the White Witch and make Narnia beautiful and happy again.
Paolini, Christopher. Eragon. Great Britain: Corgi Book, 2002.
Fifteen-year-old Eragon believes that he is merely a poor farm boy -- until his destiny as a Dragon Rider is revealed. A magical blue stone just suddenly appears next to him and a few days later it hatched and out came a beautiful blue baby dragon. Now as the last Dragon Rider it is up to him to defend his country. Gifted with only an ancient sword, a loyal dragon, and sage advice from an old storyteller, Eragon is soon swept into a dangerous tapestry of magic, glory, and power. Now his choices could save -- or destroy -- the Empire.
Rowling, J.K.. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. New York: Scholastic Inc., 1997.
Harry Potter is just a normal 10 year old boy-that is until his 11th birthday. All of a sudden these letters start coming to Harry, and then a large man by the name of Hagrid shows up and tells Harry that he is a Wizard. Once he is on the way to school he learns that his scar and his name precede him, he is already famous and did not even know it. Throughout the book Harry and his two friends Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger battle trolls, bully's, professors, chess pieces, flying keys, and of course the most evil wizard of them all-Lord Voldemort. Lord Voldemort is the Wizard that gave Harry his scar and killed his parents, and it is he who Harry must fight in order to keep him from coming back to power. Harry continually fights the evil Lord Voldemort in the next 5 books by J.K. Rowling, as the final book is waiting to be published.
Stroud, Jonathan. The Bartimaeus Trilogy: The Golem's Eye. New York: Hyperion
Books for Children, 2003.
The second adventure in the Bartimaeus trilogy
finds our young apprentice magician Nathaniel working his way up the ranks of
the government, when crisis hits. A seemingly invulnerable clay golem is making
random attacks on London. Nathaniel and the all-powerful, totally irreverent
djinni, Bartimaeus, must travel to Prague to discover the source of the golem�s
power. In the ensuing chaos,
readers will chase a dancing skeleton across London�s skyline, encounter the
horror of the dreaded Night Police, witness a daring kidnapping, and enter the
Machiavellian world of the magician�s government. Eventually, Nathaniel and
Bartimaeus have to go head to head with the fearsome golem before the surprise
identity of his master is finally revealed.
(http://www.bartimaeustrilogy.com/about.html).
Tolkien, J.R.R.. The Hobbit. New York: The Ballantine Publishing Group, 1937.
Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who likes his tea and non-adventurous life, but when Gandalf the Grey Wizard shows up everything is about to change. Thirteen dwarfs show up at Bilbo's door and they set off to find treasure and battle an evil dragon. On the way Bilbo discovers a magic ring-an evil ring, but at least he does not know that yet. He uses it many times to help save the dwarfs and himself from creatures such as spiders and the dragon. Yet, it was only with the help of Gandalf that they were able to defeat the trolls that were their first threat on their adventure. Eventually the dragon is slayed, and peace is restored, and Bilbo is happy to go back to drinking tea, but he doesn't seem so sure about the non-adventurous part anymore.
Tolkien, J.R.R.. Lord of the Rings. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1954.
Lord of the Rings is a fairly long trilogy about the constant struggle with evil. The "one ring" was forged in Mount Doom and that is where it needs to be destroyed. Frodo Baggins seems to be able to fight off the urges to use the ring's power for himself, but by the end of the last book it has become quite difficult and almost overpowers Frodo. Originally he was accompanied by eight other companions, but that dwindles down to his trusty gardener and best friend Samwise Gamgee. The others are left behind to fight the actual battle that occurs. Gandalf the Grey is destroyed when he stays behind to fight the Balrog, but he returns more powerful as Gandalf the White, and without him who knows what might have happened to Theoden or even Merry or Pippin. Frodo was successful at destroying the ring at the cost of his own finger, but in the end balance is restored and Frodo is home in the Shire.
Works Cited
"The Bartimaeus Trilogy." The Bartimaeus Trilogy: The Golem's Eye. 2004. Hyperion
Books for Children. November 30, 2006. <http://www.bartimaeustrilogy.com/
"Borders." Eragon. 2006. Borders Inc. November 30, 2006.
<http://www.bordersstores.com/search/title_detail.jsp?id=53589490&srch
Terms=Eragon&mediaType=1&srchType=Keyword>.
"Monika's Charmed." Charmed. November 30, 2006. <http://monikascharmed.
freeservers.com/about.html>.