Bob

As it blends realism with elements of fantasy—invoking the genre of magical realism—Bob relies on familiar tropes found in many fairy and folk tales. Indeed, the fictitious book that explains that Bob is a well dweller, Fairy and Folk Tales From A to Z, positions the novel to be read in the context of fairy tales.

Folk tales and fairy tales differ in that the former is historically an oral tale, while the latter is written and crafted in the manner of literature. Both are present in all cultures, and many date back to early human language. As folk tales are orally transmitted, their content shifts and changes upon each retelling, evolving the tale over time. One of the better-known types of folk tale is the fable, in which the conflict leads characters to a moral lesson. The lesson may impact the character’s community or the culture at large (Hansen, William. “Folktale.” Oxford Classical Dictionary, 2017).

Fairy tales are known for their otherworldliness, with tropes that rely heavily on the imagination. Magic is frequently a key element in the fairy tale’s fantastical plot, and ordinary items can become infused with magical abilities. Fairy tales often contain non-human, magical creatures, such as elves, dragons, fairies, witches, demons, monsters, or ogres. In a similar way, they may include animals that are ascribed with human attributes, such as the ability to talk. Importantly, the human characters within a fairy tale often find themselves in dire situations—they may be oppressed by poverty or physically trapped or imprisoned by evil beings. Yet, the tone of the tale remains optimistic, and characters are provided with a task to accomplish or a means out of their situation that gives them hope. In this way, fairy tales famously end happily, with the deserving character finding happiness or a reward for their struggle (Warner, Marina. “Where Do Fairy Tales Come From?” BBC, 2014).

Aspects of the novel that utilize such tropes include Bob’s physical appearance. He has green skin and no eyelids, and Livy immediately recognizes that Bob is an otherworldly, non-human creature. Throughout the novel, Livy is certain that Bob must possess magical powers, and the two speculate as to what these could be. Bob proves to have unusual strength, shown when he lifts the large rock under which Livy previously hid the time capsule. Likewise, despite not being educated, Bob also knows human language and teaches himself to read. The way in which Livy forgets Bob when she is away from him is also a feature of Bob’s existence that can only be ascribed to magic, rather than logic. Likewise, the chipped black pawn is an ordinary item that, on its face, seems innocuous. However, through chance, Livy discovers that it possesses the magical power to counteract the forgetting of Bob—touching the pawn causes Livy to remember Bob. In this way, the two actions of forgetting and remembering are balanced.

Bob’s most important magical ability is revealed as the novel closes. His ability to cause rain to fall is one that cannot be attributed to logic or nature. In this way, the fantastical elements of Bob’s world collide with the human world in a way that is unknowable to humans but impacts them greatly.