Fantasy is escapism, but wait... Why is this wrong? What are you escaping from, and where are you escaping to? Is the story opening windows or slamming doors? The British author G.K. Chesterton summarized the role of fantasy very well. He said its purpose was to take the everyday, commonplace world and lift it up and turn it around and show it to us from a different perspective, so that once again we see it for the first time and realize how marvelous it is. Fantasy - the ability to envisage the world in many different ways - is one of the skills that make us human.

Summary

This quote emphasizes that the common notion that fantasy is mere escapism is flawed. It raises important questions about what exactly one is escaping from and where they are escaping to. The quote suggests that instead of being a means of avoidance, fantasy serves to transform our perception of the everyday world. By providing alternative perspectives, fantasy allows us to re-imagine and appreciate the wonders of reality, thereby reminding us of the marvels that exist in our own lives. The ability to envision the world in diverse ways is seen as a fundamental quality that distinguishes us as human beings.

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