Children's and Young Adult Literature Commons^™

Fairy And Elves In Tolkien And Traditional Literature, Helios De Rosario Martínez

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Explores the linguistic heritage of the terms elf and fairy, and shows how Tolkien eventually adapted them for his own purposes. Discusses the indistinguishable nature of early folkloric references to elves and dwarves, and how Tolkien picked out the characteristics he wished to use for his elves to suit the purposes of his stories.

"Dwarves Are Not Heroes": Antisemitism And The Dwarves In J.R.R. Tolkien's Writing, Rebecca Brackmann

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

This challenging paper on mythology in Tolkien’s depiction of Dwarves brings some much-needed definition to the ongoing discussion of Tolkien and race. Quotes China Miéville’s observation that “racism is true” in Tolkien’s works, “in that people really are defined by their race,” but demonstrates how Tolkien’s conception of the racial characteristics of Dwarves changed over his lifetime. Yet we come back in the end to the inescapable fact, with all its implications, that the Dwarves continue to have a set of recognizable racial characteristics.

Reviews, David Bratman, Joe R. Christopher, Edith L. Crowe, Kim Coleman Healy, David D. Oberhelman, Richard Tuerk

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Where the Shadows Lie: A Jungian Interpretation of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. Pia Skogemann. Reviewed by Edith L. Crowe.

Finding Oz: How L. Frank Baum Discovered the Great American Story. Evan I. Schwartz. Reviewed by Richard Tuerk.

Out of My Bone: The Letters of Joy Davidman. Ed. Don W. King. Reviewed by Joe R. Christopher.

Collected Poems. Mervyn Peake, edited with an introduction by R.W. Maslen. Reviewed by David Bratman.

C.S. Lewis on the Final Frontier: Science and the Supernatural in the Space Trilogy. Sanford Schwartz. Reviewed by Joe R. Christopher.

Death and Fantasy: Essays on Philip …

J.R.R. Tolkien's "Leaf By Niggle": An Allegory In Transformation, Marie Nelson

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Nelson demonstrates that Tolkien’s allegorical short story, “Leaf by Niggle,” owes a debt to the medieval play Everyman as its primary spiritual ancestor, and discusses changes Tolkien makes to its message in the light of concepts he developed in “On Fairy-stories,” along the way touching on the differences between works meant for performance and silent reading.

Phantastical Regress: The Return Of Desire And Deed In Phantastes And The Pilgrim's Regress, Jeffrey Bilbro

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Examines the close link between George MacDonald’s Phantastes and C.S. Lewis’s first post-conversion fiction The Pilgrim's Regress, born out of the “baptism” of Lewis’s imagination by MacDonald’s seminal work. Both feature pairings of seekers initially led by desire with knight-like figures, and takes the characters through journeys with many important parallels, including learning lessons showing that desire and deed must work in harmony to bring about successful spiritual quests.

C.S. Lewis's "The Meteorite" And The Importance Of Context, Joe R. Christopher

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Contrasts two readings of C.S. Lewis’s poem “The Meteorite”: first reading and explicating it out of context in the Formalistic manner, and then demonstrating the added layer of meaning gained by considering its use as the envoi to Miracles, and the implications this has for Formalistic critical approaches to literature.

Totemic Reflexes In Tolkien's Middle-Earth, Yvette Kisor

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

A close look at Tolkien’s incorporation of traces of shamanism and totemism in his depiction of Gandalf and other characters; yet another indication of how Tolkien created historical depth in his tales by reproducing the way traces of early mythic and religious themes survive in later tales and folklore.

The Voice Of Saruman: Wizards And Rhetoric In The Two Towers, Jay Ruud

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Examines one aspect of Tolkien’s wizards—their skill in the art of rhetoric. Provides a useful exercise in recognizing fallacious reasoning in persuasive speech by defining and demonstrating classical rhetorical methods employed by Saruman and Gandalf.

The Shire Quest: The 'Scouring Of The Shire' As The Narrative And Thematic Focus Of The Lord Of The Rings, David M. Waito

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Urges us to take a step back from the well-known and thoroughly examined Ring Quest in The Lord of the Rings and consider its frame, the beginning and ending chapters set in the Shire, as representing an important Quest in their own right. The ‘Shire Quest’ is ultimately seen as the real focus of the book, with the ‘Ring Quest’ providing the necessary maturing experiences that allow the hobbits to succeed in reclaiming their homeland.

Daffodil, Rebecca Saunders

Rebecca Saunders

Clio and Nadia have a fantastic trip through time and space because they picked up a daffodil from the mud and dirt in the middle of a sidewalk.

Memories Cloaked In Magic: Memory And Identity In Tin Man, Anne Collins Smith

Faculty Publications

In Replications: A Robotic History of the Science Fiction Film [Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1995], J. P. Telotte argues that "through its long history, one that dates back to the very origins of film, this genre [science fiction] has focused its attention on the problematic nature of human being and the difficult task of being human." [1-2] The thesis of the book, he states, is "relatively simple—that the image of human artifice ... is the single most important one in the genre. [...] Through this image of artifice, our films have sought to reframe the human image …

Adventures Of Kody A Children's Visual Storybook And Interactive Web Site, Matthew L. Walsh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In order to experience unconditional love, prejudices must be exposed and overcome. People often meet others with a disability or handicap and unknowingly treat these individuals negatively. As a middle school teacher, I have often witnessed students behaving cruelly towards those that are different. When my dog became a paraplegic I was inspired to develop a project to assist young readers in the development of conscientious actions towards individuals with disabilities. This document chronicles the development, procedures, and outcomes of the process behind that artistic endeavor. The artistic elements of this thesis project are a written children's storybook and an …

Toward A Digital Poetics For Children, Richard Flynn

Richard Flynn

No abstract provided.

The Power Of Hybrids, Petros Panaou Dr, Frixos Michaelides

Petros Panaou

Comic books, graphic novels, picture books, wordless picture books, illustrated books, and novels, as distinct genres abide to specific conventions. Word-image interaction in each genre is also guided by conventions and can only vary within a preset range. These identifiable conventions assist the interpretation of stories; the reader knows what to expect and how to receive it. We assert, however, that the postmodern era has brought the publication of works that break conventions, resist categorization, subvert reading expectations, and yet are highly successful in communicating powerful and engaging stories.