Toni Barker October 22, 2014 Genre: Modern Fantasy

Literary Analysis
Bibliographic Information:
Ende, M. (1983). The Neverending Story. New York, NY: Doubleday & Co., Inc.
Plot:
Does the book tell a good story? : The creativity and imagination put into this book makes it a
good story. The book itself is about a young boy names Bastian that has to overcome the
invisible barrier between his reality and imagination so that he is able to save the fantasy world
of Fantastica.
Climax: The climax of the story is the point in which Bastian names the Childlike Empress by
calling out, Moon Child, Im coming! (Page 199-203) At this point Bastian is finally able to
cross the barrier between Fantastica and his reality. It is Bastians strong belief in the fantasy
world that takes the story to its emotional ending.
Setting:
Location: It is in the attic of Bastians school in which he begins reading the story of Fantastica.
Fantastica is the land where all of Atreyus and Bastians adventures take place.
How does the setting affect characters? : In the attic of reality, Bastian is a pudgy introverted
boy. When he crosses over to Fantastica, Moon Child makes him handsome and every character
he wishes for becomes a part of him, such as strength.
Theme:
Theme: This book has many different themescoming of age, self-discovery/acceptance,
imagination, though contradictory-losing oneself, cause and effect, and the realization that it is
impossible to create a perfect place. Bastian discovers the better side of himself that is
handsome and brave and beloved. He also loses himself because the power gets to his head and
produces consequences.
Symbolism: Bastians failed attempts in creating the perfect Fantastica can be transferred to
the concept of any perfect government. No matter what is done, there will be a negative ripple
effect somewhere down the road. Another symbol is the snake symbol on the book, similar to the
infinity symbol. This represents the entirety of The Neverending Story.
Characterization:
Character growth: Bastian definitely grows as a person throughout the story. He begins as an
introverted angry child. After he goes to Fantastica, he becomes brave and beloved by all the
creatures. His confidence and determination continues to grow until it all goes to his head and his
actions create horrible consequences. Bastian tones it down at The City of Old Emperors when
he realizes his mistake and realizes that everything is how it is for a reason even though others
have tried like him.
How characters are revealed: Between Bastians world and Fantastica, there are too many
characters to name them all. They are all revealed differently by the author. More important
characters are introduced through the narration while others are introduced through conversation
between characters.
Style:
Appropriate Style: The style is appropriate to the subject because it embodies both worlds.
Taking place in separate worlds, the setting, characters, dialogue, and plot are constantly
changing. Inserting separate character stories between the main story line, the process of cause
and effect is shown.
Dialogue: Being that most of the characters are imaginary, it is assumed that the dialogue suits
the characters. Even though some parts of the story are hard to read through, the dialogue flows
naturally within the story.
Point of View:
The overall point of view of the story is Bastians. When reading the story, it is being read
through the eyes of Bastian reading his version of The Neverending Story. The point of view
changes within the story that is within the story. Different scenarios involving different
characters cause the point of view to momentarily change.
Characteristics Specific to Genre:
Fantasy Elements: The elements in the story include imaginary realms, magical powers,
extraordinary worlds, and eccentric characters.
How the author has made the story believable: The author uses the technique of grounding the
story in reality before gradually moving into fantasy. It begins with an ordinary boy stealing a
book from a bookstore in an ordinary world. He also does so by careful attention to detail,
especially within Fantastica when describing the different settings and characters. Reading a
book within a book also makes the mind wonder the possibilities.

Reflections:
I underestimated this book. I usually consider myself as being able to grasp confusing
concepts quite easily. I caught myself many times needing to reread different sentences and/or
paragraphs. Once I was able to have quiet time to focus, it was an easier read. I rather enjoyed
the beginning and the ending of the story but struggled to push past the events that directly
followed the climax of the story.
I am unsure if I would use this book in my classroom. I would never want to
underestimate the literacy skills of my students, however this is a book I would only recommend
to well-above-grade level readers in a 5
th
grade classroom. If you are able to stay focused, it is a
good read, but the complexity of a story within a story can be challenging for younger readers.