X = Xenophobia
Xenophobia is the fear of that which is foreign or strange, usually against people but can be a culture or a place.
It might sound weird to include a phobia of foreigners to a A-Z theme that is all about bookish discussions, but believe it or not, it is a popular plot device.
Xenophobia is why Halflings (The Lord of the Rings) don't leave the Shire and don't like unexpected guests, making a character like Frodo a standout. The many races of Middle Earth held ill-will toward each other and they needed to overcome prejudices to fight for their freedoms.
Xenophobia is why everyone in the Stillness (The Fifth Season) hates Orogenes, forcing protagonists Essun, Damaya, and Syenite into their 'me against the world' roles. The bigotry that surrounds them like a suffocating blanket is what makes them such complex, even if lonely, characters. They're strong-willed, they're angry, and they are on a mission.
In Black Woods Blue Sky, recluse Arthur is universally disliked by the small town he occasionally visits. He's strange and quiet and in his dedication to being alone keeps his secrets guarded. Birdie is warned against having any involvement with him, advice she ignores as soon as it is given. You can't help but feel sorry for this strange couple living in the woods. They're completely isolated from society.
Xenophobia can be used to make protagonists shine bright as they clamber over seemingly insurmountable odds. It can make antagonists more loathsome as they deviate from being productive members of mainstream society. It can be used to evoke emotional responses from readers like sympathy, hope, or hate. It's an unfortunate concept that makes a powerful literary tool.
How do you feel about xenophobia as a plot device? Can you name any books featuring xenophobia?
I've never been especially xenophobic. After my time in the Navy, I'm even less. I celebrate other cultures and people.
ReplyDeleteI like to think I'm not xenophobic; i don't feel any suspicions toward people who are different from me. But then I sometimes have an aversion to extremely-religious types... sometimes after spending a lot of time reading a book that tells them how to be nice, they go the opposite way. Its not really a fear though, its a dislike of the bigotry and bad behavior that they want to use their religions to justify. or so i think.
DeleteI think it is a very effective plot device that is used in one way or another in many novels.
ReplyDeletei think it crops up a lot more than we take the time to think about.
DeleteIt is a very effective plot device. It's great to put into fiction as a way to show people. Sometimes we need to see the lessons through the experiences of others.
ReplyDeleteI agree.
DeleteI thought of the book Yellowface by R.F. Kuang. An unsuccessful white author steals a manuscript written by her successful Asian author friend about Chinese laborers during World War I . After her friend's sudden death, she publishes it as her own work under an assumed , vaguely Asian name. So how do people react when a white woman shows up at book clubs to talk about "her" book on Chinese laborers? There's a lot of satire in this book but also some discussion of xenophobia.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read Yellowface, but I've read Babel and I think that RFKang does a wonderful job depicting predjudices. I can't help but imagine she has some first hand experience.
DeleteI did not know that about the Hobbits.
ReplyDelete"Success is being able to complete what we set out to do - each individual action, each specific step, each desired experience whether a big project or a very small errand." — Susan Collins
J (he/him 👨🏽 or 🧑🏽 they/them) @JLenniDorner ~ Speculative Fiction & Reference Author and Co-host of the April Blogging #AtoZChallenge international blog hop
I like your quote!
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