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Children's and Young Adult Literature Commons™
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Full-Text Articles in Children's and Young Adult Literature
Otherworldly But Not The Otherworld: Tolkien’S Adaptation Of Medieval Faerie And Fairies Into A Sub-Creative Elvendom, Elliott Thomas Collins
Otherworldly But Not The Otherworld: Tolkien’S Adaptation Of Medieval Faerie And Fairies Into A Sub-Creative Elvendom, Elliott Thomas Collins
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
Through a comparative analysis of Lothlorien and the medieval stories of Lanval and Sir Orfeo, this article attempts to shed some light on how the inherently pessimistic and recursive nature of Tolkien's sub-creation affects his adaptation of medieval Faerie into a sub-creative elvendom born of the creative instincts of the elves. In doing so, the article also questions Tolkien's adherence to parameters of Faerie and characteristics of elves as laid out in OFS.
A Cloud Of Witnesses: External Mediation In Frodo’S Journey To Rivendell And Beyond, Carl P. Olson
A Cloud Of Witnesses: External Mediation In Frodo’S Journey To Rivendell And Beyond, Carl P. Olson
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
Applies Rene Girard’s mimetic theory to a study of Frodo’s motivations and role models in the early phases of The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien’s incorporation of extensive background material deepens our understanding of his main characters, most of all his central hero, Frodo. Commonly described as “role-models,” external mediators work to pacify relations in a community, and act to endow individuals with meaning, purpose, and direction they otherwise would not have. By the imitation of role-models, Frodo, Sam, Pippin, and Merry become real to Tolkien’s readers by comparison and contrast to Bilbo Baggins, Gildor and his high elves, …
Divination And Prophecy In Jrr Tolkien's The Lord Of The Rings: Some Observations [Notes], Robert F. Tredray
Divination And Prophecy In Jrr Tolkien's The Lord Of The Rings: Some Observations [Notes], Robert F. Tredray
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
Lists and describes prophetic statements and poems, the use of the palantíri in divining far-off events, and the place of prophecy in Middle-earth. Examples of prophecy are mostly used to establish mood; while examples of divination play a more prominent part in the narrative and demand moral decisions on the part of the characters. Thus they not only are important plot devices, but they also reveal to the reader important aspects of the moral nature of Tolkien's Middle-Earth.
The Black Speech: The Lord Of The Rings As A Modern Linguistic Critique, Cody Jarman
The Black Speech: The Lord Of The Rings As A Modern Linguistic Critique, Cody Jarman
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
Uses the theories of Owen Barfield to analyze the language and rhetoric used in the service of evil in The Lord of the Rings as a critique of modernity and the divorce of true meaning from speech. Ted Sandyman, Saruman, and the Mouth of Sauron are used as particular examples.
Breaking The Dragon's Gaze: Commodity Fetishism In Tolkien's Middle-Earth, Steven Kelly
Breaking The Dragon's Gaze: Commodity Fetishism In Tolkien's Middle-Earth, Steven Kelly
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
Examines Tolkien’s treatment of economics in Middle-earth, using tobacco as an example of a Lukácsian fetishized commodity, and explains why this is important not just as an example of world-building but as an indicator of the power and danger of unexamined economic assumptions.
Pillaging Middle-Earth: Self-Plagiarism In Smith Of Wootton Major, Josh B. Long
Pillaging Middle-Earth: Self-Plagiarism In Smith Of Wootton Major, Josh B. Long
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
Examines the fraught concept of “self-plagiarism” in Tolkien’s works. Self-plagiarism or self-borrowing is something more than just repeating themes and motifs throughout one’s literary career, and Long details examples of scenes, dialogue, character traits, and so on echoing from one work to another, with particular attention to The Lord of the Rings and Smith of Wootton Major.
Sméagol And Déagol: Secrecy, History, And Ethical Subjectivity In Tolkien's World, E. J. Christie
Sméagol And Déagol: Secrecy, History, And Ethical Subjectivity In Tolkien's World, E. J. Christie
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
Uses the characters Sméagol and Déagol as jumping-off points to explore issues of secrecy, surveillance, propaganda, and censorship that were increasingly coming to the fore during World War I and the inter-war years. Although significant issues in their own right, these trends also point to a growing individual privileging of self-concealment and discretion over openness and intimacy, a process that dehumanized and eroded the social fabric. The Ring crystallizes these concerns into a single object, and Gollum’s relationship to it especially creates a tangle of themes of revealing and concealing. Also discusses Tolkien’s peculiar talent for “creation from philology” building …
Faramir And The Heroic Ideal Of The Twentieth Century; Or, How Aragorn Died At The Somme, Steven Brett Carter
Faramir And The Heroic Ideal Of The Twentieth Century; Or, How Aragorn Died At The Somme, Steven Brett Carter
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
After Frodo, Faramir perhaps best represents Tolkien’s thinking on war and processing of his World War I experiences. Carter reveals Faramir to be a far more modern warrior than any of his compatriots, particularly in contrast to Aragorn and Boromir, who are representative of much older and rapidly obsolescing models of heroism and methods of warfare.
"A Far Green Country": Tolkien, Paradise, And The End Of All Things In Medieval Literature, A. Keith Kelly, Michael Livingston
"A Far Green Country": Tolkien, Paradise, And The End Of All Things In Medieval Literature, A. Keith Kelly, Michael Livingston
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
Attempts to explain exactly what Frodo goes to when he sails from the Grey Havens. By looking at paradise, purgatory, and earthly Edens in medieval literature and theology, we gain a better understanding of the spiritual purpose of Tolkien’s “far green country” beyond the bent paths of the world. References “Pearl,” “Sir Orfeo,” mystery play cycles, and Sir John Mandeville’s Travels, among other sources.
Song As Mythic Conduit In The Fellowship Of The Ring, Cami Agan
Song As Mythic Conduit In The Fellowship Of The Ring, Cami Agan
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
Explores the complex layering of history and legend that convey Tolkien’s themes across a wide array of genres within the legendarium, reinforcing the sense of depth of time Tolkien hoped to achieve even within The Hobbit.
“Deep Lies The Sea-Longing": Inklings Of Home, Charles A. Huttar
“Deep Lies The Sea-Longing": Inklings Of Home, Charles A. Huttar
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
Scholar Guest of Honor speech from Mythcon 35. Insightful study of the pattern of references to sea-voyages and the earthly paradise in Tolkien, Lewis, and Williams traces the influence of Arthurian, Celtic, and Greek legends in their writing.
Battling The Woman Warrior: Females And Combat In Tolkien And Lewis, Candice Fredrick, Sam Mcbride
Battling The Woman Warrior: Females And Combat In Tolkien And Lewis, Candice Fredrick, Sam Mcbride
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
Examines women in combat in a number of Tolkien’s and Lewis’s works, finding that their portrayals have one thing in common: battles are ugly when women fight.
Finding Woman's Role In The Lord Of The Rings, Melissa Mccrory Hatcher
Finding Woman's Role In The Lord Of The Rings, Melissa Mccrory Hatcher
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
Offers an opposing viewpoint on the “taming” of the woman warrior in Tolkien, suggesting that Éowyn’s rejection of the warrior’s life is a fulfillment of Tolkien’s theme of healing and rebirth rather than a subjection to a male partner.
The Shell-Shocked Hobbit: The First World War And Tolkien's Trauma Of The Ring, Michael Livingston
The Shell-Shocked Hobbit: The First World War And Tolkien's Trauma Of The Ring, Michael Livingston
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
Describes the Battle of the Somme and Tolkien’s participation in it. Pointing out the parallels between the battle-scarred landscapes of Northern Europe and Middle-earth, Livingston notes that while they are worth cataloging, it is Tolkien’s nuanced and sympathetic depiction of Frodo’s post-traumatic stress disorder that is the most compelling result of the author’s war experiences. Provides a good overview of Tolkien’s war experiences and his literary response to them.
Middle-Earth: The Real World Of J.R.R. Tolkien, Brian N. Weidner
Middle-Earth: The Real World Of J.R.R. Tolkien, Brian N. Weidner
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
Examines The Lord of the Rings as a reflection of its historical and social context and seeks Tolkien’s intent in inventing and describing the various societies of Middle-earth.
Applicability And Truth In The Hobbit, The Lord Of The Rings, And The Silmarillion: Readers, Fantasy, And Canonicity, Sara Upstone
Applicability And Truth In The Hobbit, The Lord Of The Rings, And The Silmarillion: Readers, Fantasy, And Canonicity, Sara Upstone
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
Questions the exclusion of Tolkien’s works from “the canon,” examining various reasons why critics may exclude them and what critical theory might be more suitable for studying them.
Fantasy And Reality: J.R.R. Tolkien's World And The Fairy-Story Essay, Verlyn Flieger
Fantasy And Reality: J.R.R. Tolkien's World And The Fairy-Story Essay, Verlyn Flieger
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
Examines how Tolkien applied a central concept of “On Fairy-stories,” the idea that fantasy must be firmly based in reality, to his writing of The Lord of the Rings.
Breastplates Of Silk: Homeric Women In The Lord Of The Rings, Mac Fenwick
Breastplates Of Silk: Homeric Women In The Lord Of The Rings, Mac Fenwick
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
Notes parallels between women characters in Homer’s Odyssey and Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, especially Circe, Calypso, and Galadriel. All assist the hero and give gifts which allow him to defeat female monsters such as the Sirens and Shelob.
The Restoration Of Language In Middle-Earth, Louise E. Keene
The Restoration Of Language In Middle-Earth, Louise E. Keene
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
“An analysis of how Tolkien uses language from the critical stance of chaos theory.”
Nature And Technology: Angelic And Sacrificial Strategies In Tolkien's The Lord Of The Rings, Gwyneth Hood
Nature And Technology: Angelic And Sacrificial Strategies In Tolkien's The Lord Of The Rings, Gwyneth Hood
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
Responds to critics who call Tolkien anti-science and anti-technology by showing that creatures of Middle-earth manipulate their environments, but in less obvious ways. Contrasts the “angelic” methods of elves with the “sacrificial” strategy of mortals.
Negating And Affirming Spirit Through Language: The Integration Of Character, Magic, And Story In The Lord Of The Rings: Part Ii, Alan Mccomas
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
Focuses on Tolkien’s narrative treatment in The Lord of the Rings and the “Ring as an emergent symbol of language itself.” Notes that through Tolkien’s “characterization of protagonists and antagonists, his use of sub-texts and ‘sub-authors,’ Tolkien demonstrates the ways in which magic and language are bound up with one another.”
Negating And Affirming Spirit Through Language: The Integration Of Character, Magic, And Story In The Lord Of The Rings, Alan Mccomas
Negating And Affirming Spirit Through Language: The Integration Of Character, Magic, And Story In The Lord Of The Rings, Alan Mccomas
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
Focuses on Tolkien’s narrative treatment in The Lord of the Rings and the “Ring as an emergent symbol of language itself.” Notes that through Tolkien’s “characterization of protagonists and antagonists, his use of sub-texts and ‘sub-authors,’ Tolkien demonstrates the ways in which magic and language are bound up with one another.”
Donaldson And Tolkien, William Senior
Donaldson And Tolkien, William Senior
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
Takes exception to the assertions of some critics that Donaldson is derivative of Tolkien. Sets out to show that “Donaldson’s chronicles differ from Tolkien’s trilogy in their intent, in their use of the shared materials of fantasy, and in their contemporary, American vision.”
The Neverending Story: Textual Happiness In The Lord Of The Rings, Dominic Manganiello
The Neverending Story: Textual Happiness In The Lord Of The Rings, Dominic Manganiello
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
Discusses endings and closure in The Lord of the Rings with reference to literary theories of endings in literature, and to Tolkien’s own “On Fairy-stories.”
The Many Faces Of The Hero In The Lord Of The Rings, Stephen Potts
The Many Faces Of The Hero In The Lord Of The Rings, Stephen Potts
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
Guest of Honor address at Mythcon 22. Reviews various definitions and characteristics of the hero according to several folklorists and psychologists. Discusses Aragorn, Gandalf, Frodo, and Sam as heroes according to these definitions.
Tolkien's "New" Mythology, William Edwin Bettridge
Tolkien's "New" Mythology, William Edwin Bettridge
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
Discusses Tolkien’s particular retelling in The Lord of the Rings of three basic mythic elements: the quest, its outcome, and the kinds of characters needed to achieve it.
Goldberry And Galadriel: The Quality Of Joy, L. Eugene Startzman
Goldberry And Galadriel: The Quality Of Joy, L. Eugene Startzman
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
Argues the importance of joy, or eucatastrophe, in The Lord of the Rings. Sees the figures of Goldberry, Bombadil, and especially Galadriel as personifications of that joy arising unexpectedly.
Tolkien's Monsters: Concept And Function In The Lord Of The Rings (Part Ii): Shelob The Great, Joe Abbott
Tolkien's Monsters: Concept And Function In The Lord Of The Rings (Part Ii): Shelob The Great, Joe Abbott
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
Three-part examination of “how Tolkien’s theory of the centrality of the monsters in Beowulf influenced his own concept of ‘monster’ and what function that concept should fulfill within” The Lord of the Rings. Part II considers the characteristics of Shelob (and Ungoliant) as monsters, traces the sources and development of these characteristics, and analyzes the importance of the confrontation with Shelob in the overall plot, especially in the character development of Sam.
Tolkien's Monsters: Concept And Function In The Lord Of The Rings (Part 1) The Balrog Of Khazad-Dum, Joe Abbott
Tolkien's Monsters: Concept And Function In The Lord Of The Rings (Part 1) The Balrog Of Khazad-Dum, Joe Abbott
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
Three-part examination of “how Tolkien’s theory of the centrality of the monsters in Beowulf influenced his own concept of ‘monster’ and what function that concept should fulfill within” The Lord of the Rings. Part I analyzes the literary function of Gandalf’s battle with the Balrog in Khazad-dûm.
The Psychology Of Power In Tolkien's The Lord Of The Rings, Orwell's 1984 And Le Guin's A Wizard Of Earthsea, Mason Harris
The Psychology Of Power In Tolkien's The Lord Of The Rings, Orwell's 1984 And Le Guin's A Wizard Of Earthsea, Mason Harris
Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature
Argues that despite their differences, Tolkien and Orwell share a similar response to absolute power, as “parallel evolution in the imagination of two humane British fantasists with an interest in the moral implications of politics.” Sees A Wizard of Earthsea as dealing with a similar problem but in psychological terms constrained by the coming-of-age theme.