Some people make further distinctions based on how the stories are organized. We can divide stories into different categories based on how we come to believe in the events related and how they are explained to us. Stories that deal with parallel worlds expect us to accept those worlds without question. We just believe Dorothy is in Oz; we accept Oz as a parallel world separate from ours. Other times events seem to be supernatural but turn out to have natural explanations: the ghosts turn out to be squirrels in the attic, or things that move mysteriously are part of a plot to drive someone crazy. Sometimes the supernatural is the result of the way the central

Question

character sees the world, as in stories told from the point of view of a crazy person. But at times we are not sure, and hesitate about believing in the possibility of the supernatural. When I first read Dracula I seriously considered hanging garlic on my windows because I believed that vampires could exist. This type of hesitation, when we almost believe, falls into thegeneral category of the "fantastic" (Todorov 25).[3] Often horror has its greatest effect on us because we almost believe, or believe while we are reading the book or watching the film, that the events are possible.

In paragraph 4, why does the author include the Quoted Word "fantastic

Answer 1

The author includes the quoted word "fantastic" to highlight a specific literary category that refers to stories where there is a blurred line between reality and the supernatural. By using the term in quotes, the author emphasizes that it is a defined concept, particularly as described by literary theorist Tzvetan Todorov. The quotation marks also indicate that the word is being applied in a particular context, suggesting that it embodies a specific set of characteristics related to our perception of supernatural elements in stories—namely, the hesitation or uncertainty in believing whether supernatural events could be real. This adds depth to the discussion by situating the term within a broader theoretical framework, thus enhancing the reader's understanding of how narratives can manipulate our belief and perception.