East European Folktale and the Novels of Naomi Novik

• In Event: Folklore in Literature: The Function of Narrative

Abstract

This paper explores the “magical realism” in the novels “Uprooted” and “Spinning Silver” by Naomi Novik, while addressing the larger topic of folklore in contemporary young adult literature. Novik’s strong female characters struggle to help their families and save their people, while traveling between “real” and “enchanted” worlds and going through trials both real and magic. Novik interweaves the memories of her grandparents’ life in Eastern Europe, and fairy tale motifs, to create a world both fantastic and recognizable. The paper focuses on her use of Slavic word roots, and character types and plot twists from Slavic tales.

Author

• Amina Gabrielova, Purdue U