Metaphors of Peace in Nancy Farmer's The Saxon Saga

Abstract

One of the most deeply ingrained and most often bemoaned patterns in modern fantasy is its propensity to project violence as a solution. The tacit or explicit glorification of rightful violence has usually been accompanied by a host of attitudes that promulgate war as the basic metaphor of group activity. Yet, human interaction can also be described by metaphors of peace and through stories in which characters employ means other than violence to deal with aggression and situations of hurt. Focusing on Nancy Farmer's The Saxon Saga—The Sea of Trolls (2004), The Land of the Silver Apples (2007) and The Island of the Blessed (2009)—this essay examines the metaphors of peace Farmer employs to suggest that the work of peace requires a whole new way of looking at the world. Although the novels are set in a world torn by violent conflicts, they offer compelling alternatives to violence. Through the adventures of the protagonist Jack, the servant of the life-force and a mediator between three different cultures...