The Disruptive Potential of Magic
Economic Worldbuilding and Critical Consciousness in Young Adult Fantasy Fiction
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21153/pecl2025vol29no1art2152Keywords:
young adult fiction, fantasy, Paulo Freire, conscientisation, economic justiceAbstract
Fantasy realms are often sites of economic prosperity. Magic cultivates abundance by severing the explicit relationship between labour and capital, imbuing these fictional spaces with a disruptive potential that can be used to critique existing economic orders. This paper examines how economic worldbuilding in young adult fantasy texts enables the conscientisation of young readers. Guided by Paulo Freire’s concept of conscientização or critical consciousness, a comparative analysis of the Harry Potter (Rowling 1997-2007) and Scholomance (Novik 2020-2022) series exposes how magical economies can replicate or disrupt inequality. This article argues that, as the cost-of-living crisis continues and global financial systems become increasingly uncertain, it is pertinent to understand how young people are discouraged or empowered to critique economic ideologies in fictional spaces.
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