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Southwestern Oklahoma State University

1996

The Lord of the Rings

Articles 1 - 7 of 7

Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities

The Moral Epiphanies In The Lord Of The Rings, Joe R. Christopher Oct 1996

The Moral Epiphanies In The Lord Of The Rings, Joe R. Christopher

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

The topic of this study is not entirely new - other critics have written about the visionary moments in The Lord of the Rings that show various types of insights - but the author is interested in a modem context for those which are most psychologically orientated, suggested by Ashton Nichols’ Poetics of Epiphany, and also in their use in the genre of the prose romance.


The Earthly Paradise In Tolkien's The Lord Of The Rings, Gwenyth Hood Oct 1996

The Earthly Paradise In Tolkien's The Lord Of The Rings, Gwenyth Hood

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

Valinor, modelled on the Earthly Paradise, is described more fully in Tolkien’s posthumously published works than in The Lord of the Rings. Yet the fleeting Valinorean images within the trilogy have a powerful impact, heightening and simultaneously providing consolation for the horrors of Mordor.


The Critical Response To Tolkien's Fiction, Wayne G. Hammond Oct 1996

The Critical Response To Tolkien's Fiction, Wayne G. Hammond

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

This paper illustrates, primarily by reviewing reviews from The Hobbit to “The History of Middle-earth”, how Tolkien’s critics have approached his works and popularity. The paper also briefly comments on the state of Tolkien criticism in its second half-century.


Point Of View In Tolkien, Christine Barkley Oct 1996

Point Of View In Tolkien, Christine Barkley

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

Many stories are told by more than one teller in Tolkien's works. This paper compares different versions to see what areas of interest or emphasis arise, and what differences might be explained by the specific interests or culture of the teller. The paper also evaluates which kinds of stories are told most often by which tellers.


Power And Knowledge In Tolkien: The Problem Of Difference In "The Birthday Party", Jane Chance Oct 1996

Power And Knowledge In Tolkien: The Problem Of Difference In "The Birthday Party", Jane Chance

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

It is not altogether clear from reading The Lord of the Rings for the first time how political the hobbits Bilbo and Frodo are, even in the introductory chapter “A Long-expected Party”. For there exist power struggles among the different hobbit families in the Shire, absurd in some cases, significant in others. One mark of the ability of Bilbo and Frodo is their sensitivity to the politics of the Shire, a faculty bom of nurture and nature that will enable Frodo’s mission and attract followers. This paper will reveal how Tolkien’s understanding of leadership rests upon what might be termed …


Eating, Devouring, Sacrifice, And Ultimate Just Desserts, Marjorie Burns Oct 1996

Eating, Devouring, Sacrifice, And Ultimate Just Desserts, Marjorie Burns

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

Bilbo’s fear of being eaten is expanded in The Lord of the Rings to include the Dark Lord’s “devouring”. In both the nursery sense of being “eaten up” and in the more sophisticated sense of enslavement, Tolkien uses this theme to discuss selfhood and free will, and to separate those who serve from those who consume and possess.


Power In Arda: Sources, Uses And Misuses, Edith L. Crowe Oct 1996

Power In Arda: Sources, Uses And Misuses, Edith L. Crowe

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

Power and renunciation of power has long been recognised as an important theme in the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. This paper will examine the issue of power with particular attention to Riane Eisler's dominator/partnership model of power relations and the power within/power over dichotomy. It will consider the sources of power: spiritual, political, physical; and how these are wielded by the various peoples and individuals of Middle-earth.