The Fantasy Genre and Mythopoetic Aspects in Children’s Literature: Based on Foreign and Kazakh Literature

Authors

  • Maktagul Orazbek

    Department of Kazakh Linguistics, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Astana 010008, Kazakhstan
  • Bakytzhan Kapanovna Issina

    Nazarbayev Intellectual School of Chemistry and Biology, Karaganda 100024, Kazakhstan
  • Lelya Bugenova

    Department of Social Sciences and Humanities, International Educational Corporation Kazakh Leading Academy of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Almaty 050009, Kazakhstan
  • Ardak Shaikenovna Tleulessova

    Department of Kazakh and Russian Languages, S. Seifullin Kazakh Agrotechnical Research University, Astana 010011, Kazakhstan
  • Moldir Amangazykyzy

    Department of Kazakh Language and Literature, A.K. Kussayinov Eurasian Humanities Institute, Astana 010009, Kazakhstan
  • Gulzhan Abutalipovna Seidullayeva

    Department of Social Sciences and Humanities, International Educational Corporation Kazakh Leading Academy of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Almaty 050043, Kazakhstan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i3.8782
Received: 18 February 2025 | Revised: 1 March 2025 | Accepted: 4 March 2025 | Published Online: 8 March 2025

Abstract

The fantasy genre in children’s literature is a distinct subgenre in literature aimed at children, transporting young readers to a world of imagination. A primary characteristic of the fantasy genre is its depiction of worlds and events that are beyond reality while maintaining a logical structure. Originating in Greek philosophy as φαντασία (imagination), today’s concept of imagination possesses various meanings and fulfills different functions. The article explains the concepts of fantasy, magic, and second worlds through literary dictionaries and the theoretical frameworks of philosophers like Plato and Aristotle, as well as reviews of both foreign and Kazakh researchers’ works. The poetic peculiarities of fairy tales and stories in children’s fantasy literature, both foreign and Kazakh, are analyzed with examples regarding characters and artistic systems. The article also considers anthropocentrism in children’s literature, a phenomenon common to all fantastical works. We identified the distinct features of anthropocentric phenomena in fantasy literature, often portrayed through the figure of a woman possessing magical and mystical powers, characterized by their mastery of magic. This phenomenon’s representation methods in both Kazakh and English literature are examined. Research methods such as hermeneutical, comparative, and comparative-historical analysis were employed.

Keywords:

Children’s Literature; Fantasy Genre; Mythopoetics; Mythical Cognition; National Values; Psychoanalytical Analysis; Imagination-Fantasy

References

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How to Cite

Orazbek, M., Issina, B. K., Bugenova, L., Tleulessova, A. S., Amangazykyzy, M., & Seidullayeva, G. A. (2025). The Fantasy Genre and Mythopoetic Aspects in Children’s Literature: Based on Foreign and Kazakh Literature. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 7(3), 496–508. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i3.8782

Issue

Vol. 7 , Iss. 3 (March 2025)

Article Type

Review

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Copyright © 2025 Maktagul Orazbek, Bakytzhan Kapanovna Issina, Lelya Bugenova, Ardak Shaikenovna Tleulessova, Moldir Amangazykyzy, Gulzhan Abutalipovna Seidullayeva

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This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.