Digital Commons Network^™

“Restless And Uneasy…Thin And Stretched”: The Ring, The Ringbearers, And Bodies In Psychological Crisis In Tolkien’S The Lord Of The Rings., Sara Brown

Journal of Tolkien Research

The attachment that Tolkien’s Ring-bearers have for the Ring, a twisted and perverted form of love, is sterile and barren; it leaves those affected unable to settle and form fruitful, loving relationships with others, an effect that Tolkien referred to as a “Ring-restlessness.” Gollum, Bilbo, and Frodo all suffer, to their own degree, from the psychological crisis caused by the Ring that renders them uneasy and agitated. This paper examines this crisis through a psychological lens, exploring how the Ringbearers are living in discord with their true selves, and struggling with the meaninglessness of life that the Ring leaves behind.

Mourning And Melancholia In The Lord Of The Rings, Ali Mirzabayati

Journal of Tolkien Research

This paper analyzes how Denethor and Théoden respond differently to the deaths of their sons in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. Initially consumed by grief, Théoden embraces hope with Gandalf's support, while Denethor descends into despair. Employing Freud's essay "Mourning and Melancholia" (1917), we examine how Théoden and Denethor illustrate differing reactions to mourning and melancholy in the face of loss. Recognizing developments in psychoanalytic theory, the paper moves beyond simple binaries to offer a nuanced exploration of grief and attachment in Tolkien's narrative.

The Only Thriller J.R.R. Tolkien (Never) Wrote: Jungian Shapes Of Evil In “The New Shadow”, Martin Hauberg-Lund Laugesen, Bo Kampmann Walther

Journal of Tolkien Research

J.R.R. Tolkien's The New Shadow, a fragment set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, offers a rich but often overlooked exploration of the psychological and cultural implications of peace following the defeat of Sauron. Although Tolkien abandoned the project, dismissing it as a mere “thriller”, the text presents significant insights into the dynamics of generational conflict, the origins of Evil, and the moral challenges of a post-heroic world. This paper examines The New Shadow through a dual lens: first, by contextualizing Tolkien’s depiction of good and evil within Christian ethical frameworks, and second, by applying Carl Gustav Jung’s psychological …

Tolkien And Attachment Theory : A Theory To Bind Them All?, Lelie Bremont

Journal of Tolkien Research

Tolkien and Attachment theory: One Theory to Bind Them All?

Ever since the first publication of The Hobbit in 1937, Tolkien’s works have been dominating the fantasy genre, often imitated but rarely equalled. Dozens of scholars over decades have looked for the reason behind this success, the secret ingredient that made Middle-earth so compelling.

Nicole Guédeney is a French psychiatrist specializing in Attachment Theory. Attachment Theory emerged in the early 20^th century and combines psychology with anthropology and ethnology to explore the early attachments created between a baby and the adults surrounding them and how these attachments determine the …

Perceiving The Perceiver: “Viewing” Sauron Through The Gestalt Theory Of Perception, Cameron Bourquein

Journal of Tolkien Research

This paper uses Gestalt theory, the Gestalt laws of perception, and the reception theory of Wolfgang Iser to elucidate the character “Sauron” as he appears in The Lord of the Rings, The Rings of Power, and Tolkien’s wider legendarium. It argues firstly that Sauron’s high degree of indeterminacy and ambiguity suggests he can be read as a gestalt entity, one the reader creates by mentally constructing a whole from (seemingly) disparate parts. Building on the semiotics work of Nagy (2013), it argues that Sauron in The Lord of the Rings can be read as gestalt across the spatial, …

Fears And Pains And Rages: The Psychology Of Gandalf's Anger, Nicholas Birns

Journal of Tolkien Research

We are used to seeing emotions in Tolkien as coded morally. Lust or possessiveness is evil whereas care and forbearance are good. There are some emotions, though, that cross these moral boundaries and one of these is anger Moreover, anger in Tolkien is very coded in terms of gender, as it is nearly always male rage. After examining the cases of Saruman and Wormtongue (angry because the world will not cooperate with their plans) and Thingol (angry because he realizes he has just postponed his doom rather than staved it off), we will examine the case of Gandalf. Gandalf is …

Friends And Foes: Multifaceted Native Representation In Honoratissimi Benefactores, Matthew Macdonald

Parnassus: Classical Journal

No abstract provided.

Preventing Female Inmates’ High Recidivism In One Parole Reentry Program, Erika Galarza

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recidivism among formerly incarcerated women is a challenging issue for one state prison system. Effective and fully enrolled programs to support recently released women are essential to stopping recidivism, as women often face problems such as trauma, abuse, or mental health disorders, all of which may require special care. The purpose of this study was to determine the primary outcomes of the One Parole Reentry Program’s (OPRP) effectiveness in preventing female recidivism at prison facilities and what improvements may enhance future outcomes. The state’s parole program curriculum assessment guidelines and their rehabilitation model were used as the framework to assess …

Joy In Lifelong Learning: An Introduction To Planning For Learning Disabilities In Museum Education, Elaine L. Davis

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

For over a century, the role of museums as learning institutions has been considered alongside that of schools. However, special education practices are rarely adapted for museum education, requiring educators in museum contexts to undertake extra work to accommodate those with learning disabilities. This thesis used Qualitative Comparative Analysis and Textual Analysis to review pedagogical white papers and academic research on museum programs aimed at neurodivergent audiences. The findings were used to create a professional development guide for museum educators at a range of different types of museums.

Weaving An Alternative Food System: The Implications Of‬‭ Campesino‬‭ Community‬ Structures For Food Sovereignty In New England‬, Torrance Wagner

CISLA Senior Integrative Projects

This exploration seeks to detangle the diverse lines of thinking, reasoning, and acting that make up the concept of food sovereignty, and to do so with the intention of understanding what its most actionable principles are. The topic is inspired by the traditional community-scale agriculture of campesino communities throughout Latin America, but specifically in the Valles Centrales of Oaxaca, Mexico. The ultimate questions are if and how the collectivity that often exists in these cultures can be applied to local food systems in New England to support regional food sovereignty. The ideas presented are drawn from personal experience, theoretical academic …

Children As Legacy: Fostering A Viable, Interracial Future In Chesnutt’S The Marrow Of Tradition, Allison Marchand

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Charles W. Chesnutt believed The Marrow of Tradition (1901) would be his magnum opus. In a letter to Booker T. Washington, he described it as “by far the best thing I have done” and in another, described how he sent it to Theodore Roosevelt, hoping it might help the president understand the race problem (McElrath 159; 169). The novel details the events of and leading up to a race riot in the fictional Wellington, North Carolina. Inspired by the 1898 coup d’etat and massacre in Wilmington, North Carolina, Chesnutt wrote The Marrow of Tradition with “the hope that it might …

Invasion As A Structure: Carceral Capitalism, Necropolitics, And The Persistence Of Settler-Colonialism, Ethan Peacock

Honors College Theses

In the United States, settler-colonialism is often dismissed as a "bad chapter" of the past, an embarrassing episode of the nation's history, considered irrelevant to contemporary socio-political discussions. In contrast, while ongoing, Canada's reconciliation efforts remain performative, failing to address underlying colonial power structures. This project argues that settler-colonialism is not merely a historical phenomenon but a pervasive socio-political and cultural structure shaping the contemporary world. Capitalism depends on racialized and gendered hierarchies, continually produced through dispossession, marginalization, and exploitation. The prison-industrial complex (PIC) exemplifies this dynamic by industrializing dehumanization and weaponizing state violence against marginalized communities through mass incarceration, …

‘Amazigh Literary Space’: Intersection And Hybridity Across Languages And Media, Daniela Merolla

Journal of Amazigh Studies

My contribution will focus on multilingualism and multimedia in the ‘Amazigh literary and cinematographic space’ (Merolla De l’art, “Amazigh/Berber Literature”). Examining this notion coined in the 1990’s (Merolla “Gender and Community”) allows us to reflect on ongoing debates regarding North African literatures in postcolonial contexts. It also helps to see that Amazigh/Berber literature solely defined as Amazigh-language production tends to isolate works and performances that engage with multiple languages and literary traditions, cultural intersections, and hybridization in North Africa and its diasporas. The discussion is contextualized within the historical development of what is sometimes referred to as the “North …

“What Ship Will Bear Me Ever Back”: Woundedness And The Western Sea, Janet Brennan Croft

Journal of Tolkien Research

The sea journey into the West is a multi-faceted symbol-system in Tolkien’s works. It is connected with healing, loss, and the numinous. A character may sail to find peace, to lay down burdens, or to challenge the gods or to beg their help. I will be considering both Tolkien’s literary inspirations in medieval and Arthurian literature, and the personal resonances arising from the significant sea voyages (to England as a young child, and to and from France during the Great War) which twice upended his life.

Absent Mothers And Their Effects On The Heroines' Self-Actualization In Jane Austen's Final Three Novels, Gillian Carter

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

No abstract provided.

“Linked” And Unlinked: Temporal Identity And Intergenerational Connection In Zitkala-Ša’S “The Widespread Enigma Concerning Blue-Star Woman”, Ilse Eskelsen

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

No abstract provided.

Full Issue

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

No abstract provided.

Inpatient, Anna Schmalz, Rob Bragin, John Strauss

Honors Thesis

A suicide attempt lands a golden-boy tennis prodigy in an upscale Malibu rehab. There, he must survive the dysfunctional owner and his coke-snorting son, an eccentric mix of troubled teens, and a manipulative ex hellbent on sabotaging his last shot at recovery.

Interview With Jim Woglom, Jacey Terrill

What Happened Here

This is a transcript of an oral history with Jim Woglom, who is a professor of Art Education at Cal Poly Humboldt. At the time of the protest, he was co-chair of the School of Education and Senate Chair for the University, but was outgoing from those roles at the time of the interview. He was behind calling for a vote of no confidence for President Jackson. He advocated for open discussion between protestors and administrators, despite pushback on both sides. He witnessed the police presence on the first day of the protest. He discusses instances of interacting with protestors …

Professional Identity Development Of Black Women Counselor Education And Supervision Students In Predominantly White Institutions, Demetria Kathryn Burleson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black women in counselor education and supervision (CES) programs at predominantly White institutions (PWIs) accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) face unique challenges that significantly influence their professional identity development (PID). Systemic barriers, such as microaggressions, racial stereotyping, and limited institutional support, remain pervasive and underexplored in literature. The purpose of this qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of PID among Black women enrolled in CES doctoral programs at CACREP-accredited PWIs. This qualitative study, guided by Heidegger’s hermeneutic phenomenology and informed by intersectionality and social cognitive career theory, aimed …

Connections, Peter Froehlich

LSU Master's Theses

A definitive shift in American social interaction has been taking place far longer than most realize. It is easy to point the finger at the prevalence of technology and social media, this has been a trend that has been going on since the mid to late twentieth century. Stemming from changes in design, the breakdown of scheduled social outlets, and shifts in technology have led to what some writers and sociologists are calling “The Anti-Social Century.”

Working through a making practice to promote the building of connections through social interaction, three different types of spaces were targeted for the exploration …

Parts That Cannot Be Found, Amber Baggette

LSU Master's Theses

Parts That Cannot Be Found is a body of work where I use imagery of trees that are sick or injured, to show my struggles as a person who has been in survival mode their whole life. I use the facts I found in the book “The Hidden Life of Trees,” by Peter Wohlleben, where he describes what trees do and how and why they feel. Since I hold trees in high regard, I started researching how they function. Trees are living beings, and ignoring their presence is tragic. Throughout this paper, I contextualize my work by exploring specific printmaking …

Adaptive Art Teaching Strategies: Empowering Students And Paraprofessionals In The Inclusive Art Classroom, Kameran Dostal

Art 895 Research Papers

In the art room, differentiation for students with exceptional disabilities presents unique challenges. Some art educators teach in self-contained settings (e.g. adaptive art classes), other art educators teach in inclusive art room settings (where students with disabilities are integrated into the art room), and others teach a combination of both. The research on adaptive art programs and adaptive teaching practices has the potential to impact students with disabilities as a piece of advocacy to showcase the impact of the visual arts on their IEP goals and fine motor skills. The intention is that this research re-examines best practices in teaching …

Developing Anti-Racist Teaching Practices To Represent A Diverse Student Population, Naomi Brumm

Art 895 Research Papers

The issue that this case study will address is the need for an anti-racist high school art curriculum. In order to better represent today’s diverse society, educators need to incorporate anti-racist teaching practices both within their curriculum and their classroom environments. I will examine how systemic racism as a society has led to lack of diversity within the field of art education and identify what anti-racist pedagogical practices can be put into place to combat it.

A Movement In Process: The Effects Of Post-Dictatorship Politics On The Legalization Of Abortion In Argentina, Corinne J. Robbins

CISLA Senior Integrative Projects

Access to abortion is an inherently critical aspect of sexual and reproductive rights. That is to say that access to safe abortions is of equal importance to guaranteeing a person’s right to safety during the pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum period. This research primarily focuses on the trajectory of the legalization of abortion in Argentina after the end of the last military Dictatorship (1976-1983), the factors that impacted the movement, and how the movement is received in Argentina today. Argentina’s current administration has been unsupportive of the current abortion law, but past successes demonstrate that abortion rights activists in Argentina are …

Climate Change Behind Prison Walls: Environmental Justice, Prison Abolition, And Social Welfare, Mia Moody

Student Theses 2015-Present

Unbeknownst to many, human rights violations occur on a large scale behind prison walls. This paper examines some of these violations, especially those exacerbated by climate change, through an environmental lense in order to emphasize the need for social welfare-based solutions in the abolition of the prison industrial complex. It also seeks to illustrate the connection between the environmental justice movement and the prison abolition movement so that marginalized peoples may be free from shouldering disproportionate effects of environmental hazards and imprisonment. This paper is introduced with a brief overview of the human rights violations occurring in prisons. Using quantitative …

Authentically Assessing Student Learning In A Data Driven School System, Curtis Marolf

Art 895 Research Papers

As educators, we are often tasked with measuring student progress and understanding using standardized testing methods. As a visual arts instructor, I find these testing methods to be antiquated and inadequate for measuring students’ knowledge in the classroom, as they solely focus on an individual’s ability to recognize, recall or repeat factual data. If the goal of a quarterly assessment is to answer the question, “How do we know that the students know what we want them to know?” then standardized assessments are not the answer for the visual arts. The art classroom is a creative and expressive space, where …

Contending With Anxiety In The Elementary Art Classroom, Natalie Petrushonis

Art 895 Research Papers

The focus of this qualitative study is to explore how students are affected by anxiety in the art classroom. The major objective of this research is to explore methods and strategies to support students who suffer from anxiety to prevent it from negatively affecting their art education. The participants of this study will be elementary students within an art classroom who feel anxiety while engaging in artmaking. This case study research will provide insight into approaches that have been utilized to assist students with anxiety in art while observing the effectiveness of these methods with students in an elementary art …

Annihilation, Reconstruction And Harmony In Carnal Desire, Yukang Tao

Theses - ALL

This thesis investigates the aesthetic, ethical, and philosophical implications of meat consumption and bodily commodification of humans and animals within capitalist hierarchies through the lens of digital art, performance and sculpture. Focusing on the intersection of humanity, animality, and technological embodiment, the project interrogates how contemporary systems of power aestheticize violence and disguise exploitation under the guise of ethical consumption. Inspired by critical theories, particularly of Amber Husain, Jacques Derrida, George Bataille, and Donna Haraway, the thesis examines the ambivalent tensions between seduction and slaughter, subjectivity and domination, and how these dynamics are embedded in both animal and human exploitation. …

Disabling Structures: Disability And Graduate Student Professionalization, Gabriella Wilson-Kopko

Dissertations - ALL

While scholarship on graduate education and graduate teacher assistant training has emerged as a growing trend in the field of rhetoric and composition, perspectives from disabled graduate students about their navigation of academic spaces remain understudied and undervalued (Lutkewitte, Kitchens, Scanlon; Macaulay; Badenhorst, Amell, Burford; Brown). An often neglected and precarious student population, disabled graduate students’ experiences are critical to graduate education scholarship because their lived experiences offer insight into critiques of normative and disabling academic structures. This IRB-approved study contributes to scholarship on graduate education by carefully analyzing the cultural expectations of normativity, ability, and productivity that are implicitly …