Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 2 of 2
Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities
The Stolen Gift: Tolkien And The Problem Of Suicide, Martin Lockerd
The Stolen Gift: Tolkien And The Problem Of Suicide, Martin Lockerd
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
The treatment of suicide in Tolkien’s narratives about Middle-earth—a topic surprisingly neglected by critics—helps to clarify one aspect of the relationship between Tolkien’s secondary world and his distinctly Christian view of primary reality. His writings capture the tragic pathos of self-destruction while developing and unfolding a larger, competing ethos of self-sacrifice and service to life. In order to explain the development of this life-affirming ethic, I begin by considering the paradoxical nature of death in Tolkien’s mythology as the “gift” of a benevolent creator. Next, I analyze prominent examples of suicide in The Silmarillion and the early legendarium more broadly. …
The Felix Culpa In Tolkien's Legendarium: A Catalyst For Character And Reader Transformation, Nathan C J Hood
The Felix Culpa In Tolkien's Legendarium: A Catalyst For Character And Reader Transformation, Nathan C J Hood
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
Examines the role of the felix culpa, or ‘happy fault’, in J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendarium. The article argues that this motif, originating within the Christian theological tradition, was adapted by Tolkien into the guiding structure of Middle-earth’s grand narrative. It shows the importance of the felix culpa in Tolkien’s secondary world by analysing the trope’s role in the Ainulindale and The Silmarillion. It then moves to consider the ways in which the presence of happy faults in The Lord of the Rings has a transformative impact upon the morality and spirituality of its characters and readers.