03-05-2026, 02:33 PM
The Shadow of Anodos: Alchemical Symbolism in Phantastes
By Aren Roukema
"Many critics of 'Phantastes', George MacDonald’s seminal work of fantasy, have seen the novel as primarily symbolic, with little to no central narrative structure. However, an analysis of previously unidentified alchemical symbolism makes it clear that the novel has a cohesive narrative based on the alchemical journey of Anodos, the central character, toward spiritual unification with the immanent God. This paper places MacDonald's use of alchemical symbolism in the historical context of medieval and early modern alchemy in order to illustrate the nature and purpose of the novel's alchemical structure."
https://www.academia.edu/2613838/The_Sha...Phantastes
By Aren Roukema
"Many critics of 'Phantastes', George MacDonald’s seminal work of fantasy, have seen the novel as primarily symbolic, with little to no central narrative structure. However, an analysis of previously unidentified alchemical symbolism makes it clear that the novel has a cohesive narrative based on the alchemical journey of Anodos, the central character, toward spiritual unification with the immanent God. This paper places MacDonald's use of alchemical symbolism in the historical context of medieval and early modern alchemy in order to illustrate the nature and purpose of the novel's alchemical structure."
https://www.academia.edu/2613838/The_Sha...Phantastes