The Elements of Fantasy and Horror Essay -- Literary Analysis, This Wa

The elements of fantasy and horror blend together perfectly to create an unforgettable series of events. An example of dark fantasy is Something Wicked This Way Comes, the novel by Ray Bradbury that tells the story of two young boys, Jim and Will, who discover the secret of a mysterious traveling carnival. The magical carnival has many temptations, including a frightening mirror maze and a carousel that changes one’s age. However, its allure only causes one to fall into the clutches of the ringmaster, Mr. Dark, an illustrated man who tattoos each person bound to the carnival in servitude onto his skin. Along with Will’s father Charles, the boys set out to investigate and destroy the soul-sucking attraction. They eventually defeat the carnival through love and happiness; during this time, Charles also comes to the extraordinary realization to not take life too seriously. Ray Bradbury’s symbols in the novel Something Wicked This Way Comes define and emphasize the t heme life endures through constant struggle between good and evil. Jim and Will, Charles, and the carnival attractions demonstrate the theme in Bradbury’s novel and bring it to life. The literary elements Ray Bradbury incorporates in Something Wicked This Way Comes plays an essential role in shaping the main idea of the novel. Jim and Will represent symbols that greatly help unravel the theme in Something Wicked This Way Comes. In the first place, they illustrate symbols of good and evil, with Jim as the darker of the two and Will as the lighter. Charles can see that this appears obvious, and he points it out to the kids. He states, â€Å"[Jim] wears the black ten-gallon hats and reads books to fit. Middle name’s Moriarty, right, Jim? Any day now he’ll move up from Fu Manchu ... ...ruggles and will continue to do so as long as life itself continues. The carnival attractions serve as excellent symbols in proving the theme. The use of symbols in Something Wicked This Way Comes renders the theme that life bears through unvarying battle between good and evil more apparent. To begin with, Will and Jim represent good and evil, respectively, and struggle constantly between themselves throughout the course of the novel. Subsequently, Charles also symbolizes good and battles with many types of evil in the book, including Mr. Dark and the Dust Witch. In conclusion, the carnival attractions include forms of fear and temptation that fight against the main characters as the plot progresses. Something Wicked This Way Comes combines dark nights, folk-tale characters, and magical elements to relate supernatural and sinister matters to everyday life.