Fantasy as a Popular Genre in the Works of Neil Gaiman

Abstract

This thesis deals with Neil Gaiman's fantasy novels American Gods, Stardust and Neverwhere. First, the paper discusses definition of the fantasy genre and various types of fantasy worlds and applies this theory to previously mentioned titles. Secondly, a structuralist analysis is carried out based on binary oppositions and Frye's Anatomy of Criticism. The penultimate chapter focuses on mythology and its presence in Gaiman's literature. The last chapter presents introduction to first concepts of morality, followed by an historical overview of morals and then applies this theory on the protagonists of the novels.