Please be prepared to enter the world of Xanth. It is an imaginary land that only exists in Piers Anthony’s mind. In Xanth, there are multiple stories, but none are as unique and original as the fantasy novel, Castle Roogna. This books depicts a young boy’s journey through time as he discovers the elixir of life and the secret of manhood. Castle Roogna is one of many in Anthony’s Xanth series that continues the saga of puns and legends. The protagonist of Castle Roogna is Dor. I will be evaluating this book by how Dor’s appearance, abilities, and home-life are illustrated by the author. Sometimes, Anthony goes into in-depth descriptions of female anatomy that are more graphic than necessary, since Castle Roogna is a children’s book. However,
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Nevertheless, Dor’s admiration goes too far. Consider this quote, “Indeed, she had the loveliest glowing hair, flowing like poppycorn silk to the dimpled backs of her … knees,” (Anthony 1). The quote observes a girl with long hair and hints of the “dimples” in the bathing suit area. The “…” alludes that the girl has a dimpled derriere, rather than a dimpled knees. “There would always be a market for lovely nude girls,” (Anthony 225). This quote is quite sexist. The “market” mentioned could be interpreted as being the sex trade. Why should these references be repulsive to the reader? The references are repulsive because Castle Roogna’s target audience is children. Children should not be reading about sex or reading about any allusions to sex in the form of sexual innuendo. The Children’s Literature Review even reviewed the novel. That establishment would not have reviewed Castle Roogna if it were not written for children. This proves that Anthony’s target audience is children not adults. Piers Anthony’s protagonist, Dor, should not be making any sexual references because children are reading this novel. This is one flaw that I found with Castle Roogna. However, the book is appropriate for teenagers and adults; they should be the target …show more content…
First, he is a young boy, a teenager. Then for most of the book, he possesses a grown man’s body, a stranger’s body. He needs to possess the man’s body in order to complete his quest. His quest is to make his nanny human again. Dor’s two bodies influenced the growth of his character. This growth will intrigue and entertain the reader. As a young boy, Dor feels weak and insignificant. Yet, Dor’s scrawny body aided his personal character; it taught him to build his brains rather than his muscle. As a man, Dor learned how to defend himself and how to deny himself. Whether Dor was confronted by harpies, griffons, zombies, or countless other mythical creatures Dor was able to handle the situation. Being a man helped him gain a confidence in himself that was previously
Nevertheless, Dor’s admiration goes too far. Consider this quote, “Indeed, she had the loveliest glowing hair, flowing like poppycorn silk to the dimpled backs of her … knees,” (Anthony 1). The quote observes a girl with long hair and hints of the “dimples” in the bathing suit area. The “…” alludes that the girl has a dimpled derriere, rather than a dimpled knees. “There would always be a market for lovely nude girls,” (Anthony 225). This quote is quite sexist. The “market” mentioned could be interpreted as being the sex trade. Why should these references be repulsive to the reader? The references are repulsive because Castle Roogna’s target audience is children. Children should not be reading about sex or reading about any allusions to sex in the form of sexual innuendo. The Children’s Literature Review even reviewed the novel. That establishment would not have reviewed Castle Roogna if it were not written for children. This proves that Anthony’s target audience is children not adults. Piers Anthony’s protagonist, Dor, should not be making any sexual references because children are reading this novel. This is one flaw that I found with Castle Roogna. However, the book is appropriate for teenagers and adults; they should be the target …show more content…
First, he is a young boy, a teenager. Then for most of the book, he possesses a grown man’s body, a stranger’s body. He needs to possess the man’s body in order to complete his quest. His quest is to make his nanny human again. Dor’s two bodies influenced the growth of his character. This growth will intrigue and entertain the reader. As a young boy, Dor feels weak and insignificant. Yet, Dor’s scrawny body aided his personal character; it taught him to build his brains rather than his muscle. As a man, Dor learned how to defend himself and how to deny himself. Whether Dor was confronted by harpies, griffons, zombies, or countless other mythical creatures Dor was able to handle the situation. Being a man helped him gain a confidence in himself that was previously