Children's and Young Adult Literature Commons^™

Nice, Good, Or Right: Faces Of The Wise Woman In Terry Pratchett’S "Witches" Novels, Janet Brennan Croft

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

Examines the moral system that guides the use of magic by the witches of Discworld. Considers the definitions of Nice, Good, and Right under this system, and demonstrates how mature witches strive do what is Right.

"That Most Unselfish Man": George Sayer, 1914-2005: Pupil, Biographer, And Friend Of Inklings, Mike Foster

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

An appreciation of Inkling George Sayer, author of Jack: C.S. Lewis and His Times, widely regarded as one of the best biographies of Lewis. Includes personal reminiscences of his friendship with Sayer, as well as of Sayer’s friendships with Tolkien and Lewis.

"The Homecoming Of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm's Son": J.R.R. Tolkien's Sequal To "The Battle Of Maldon", Marie Nelson

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

Considers the application of speech act theory to Tolkien’s “The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm’s Son” and its source, “The Battle of Maldon,” and how different speech acts propel the action of each story.

Witches, Wives And Dragons: The Evolution Of The Women In Ursula K. Le Guin’S Earthsea—An Overview, Melanie A. Rawls

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

A survey of the evolution of women in Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea series, examining how the author reassessed her depiction of gender in the earlier books and deliberately changed her viewpoint in the later books.

The Christian Parody In Sara Paretsky’S Ghost Country, Joe R. Christopher

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

Paretsky is best known for her V.I. Warshawski detective novels; in this non-series book, Chicago is haunted by what may be an avatar of the Babylonian goddess Ishtar. Includes a listing of references to other fictional detective stories in the Warshawski series.

Seeing Inside The Mountains: Cynthia Rylant's Appalachian Literature And The "Hillbilly" Stereotype, Karen Roggenkamp

Faculty Publications

If Ob, as a West Virginia native, possesses the ability to see The Mysteries where others see only primitivistic whittling or, more pejoratively, tacky wooden trash cluttering the yards of mountain families, then Rylant's Appalachian works likewise depict characters who possess an ability to see beyond external markers and predictable interpretations, and who seek an emotional and spiritual interiority based on family, love, and sense of place. Rylant's words in The Relatives Came, When I Was Young in the Mountains, and Missing May work to restore the integrity of Appalachia as a place of "interior" values, a setting that symbolizes …

Resisting The Human Need For Enemies, Or What Would Harry Potter Do?, Mary E. Hess

Faculty Publications

Most mass-mediated popular cultures surround us with enemies, offering up vivid depictions of a world seen as either “for us” or “against us.” Christian faith, on the other hand, draws us towards love even in the presence of hatred. A close look at the surprisingly countercultural world of Harry Potter provides some ways forward in walking the path of love.

Et Cetera, Marshall University

Et Cetera

Founded in 1953, Et Cetera is an annual literary magazine that publishes the creative writing and artwork of Marshall University students and affiliates. Et Cetera is free to the Marshall University community.

Et Cetera welcomes submissions in literary and film criticism, poetry, short stories, drama, all types of creative non-fiction, photography, and art.

An Annotated Bibliography Of Stephen King Criticism, Tyler Cobabe

Library Research Grants

No abstract provided.

Riding A Broomstick Out Of Plato’S Cave: Elements Of Plato Found In J.K. Rowling’S Harry Potter Series, Camille Winegar Parker

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series has become a cultural phenomenon. An analysis of the Harry Potter series reveals that underneath the phenomenon status there is great depth. This paper looks at aspects of the novels that mirror elements found in Plato’s The Republic, specifically his allegory of the cave in Book Seven. Plato’s allegory of the cave can be broken down into “four stages,” and in the Harry Potter novels there are characters who fall in each of these four stages. Through the characters in the four stages we see that the “highest form of knowledge” (Plato 246) to …

Children’S Web Site: History Of Elkader, Iowa… For Kids, Nancy Healy

Graduate Research Papers

Elkader, located in the hills of Northeast Iowa, along the banks of the Turkey River, is a community rich with history. There are no resources designed for children about the history of Elkader. The purpose of this project was to create an engaging informational web site for children that shares information about the history of Elkader, from its beginning years to present day. Research provided throughout this project makes it evident that not only is history education important and that young people are capable of understanding and appreciating the past; it also demonstrates how to best present the information online-with …

The History Of The Iowa Teen Award, Joni K. Hoing

Graduate Research Papers

The major purpose of this research paper was to document in a written form the history of the Iowa Teen Award (ITA). This purpose was accomplished through interviews and examination of IEMA Archival materials located in the University of Northern Iowa Rod Library Archives Collection.

The results of this study showed a dedicated group of school librarians who organized a state-wide plan for a book award chosen by students in grades six through nine. Over a five-year period, plans were made for the award to be similar to the Iowa Children's Choice Award. The study presented the growth and development …

A Comparison Of The Portrayal Of Evil In Fairy Tales And Contemporary Fantasy Fiction, Donna Gwinnup

Graduate Research Papers

Writing and publishing literature for children and young adults has become a rhizomorphic entity. There are thousands of books published each year. When you compare that to the little over two hundred stories Perrault and the Grimm brothers recorded you can see how the market has substantially grown. With the use of literature as a teaching tool it is imperative we keep a close watch on trends. This study was designed to look at the changes from fairy tales to contemporary fiction in order to ascertain what changes have taken place in three particular areas: has the gender of the …

Teenage Life In The Fat Lane, Kristi Shreffler

Graduate Research Papers

Young adult fiction may not portray obese characters accurately. Research questions used to explore this issue focused on how obese characters were portrayed in young adult fiction. One set of questions asked whether characters in the books in this study will suffer from ridicule and peer rejection. A second set of questions asked whether any the books in this study will suggest that losing weight will ensure personal happiness. A third set of questions asked whether any of young adult fiction books in this study will portray obesity in a negative manner. After compiling the information, the researcher found that …

Editorial, Janet Brennan Croft

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

No abstract provided.

"Good, Not Safe": Structure Vs. Chaos In Narnia And The Writing Workshop, Ethan Campbell, Robert Jackson

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

Considers Lewis as a member of a writing group, and its effect on his narrative techniques. Examines Lewis’s self-imposition of tight structure when writing for children, and the moments when his story escapes his own rules. Discusses using Lewis in the creative writing classroom.

Sacral Kingship: Aragorn As The Rightful And Sacrificial King In The Lord Of The Rings, Karen Simpson Nikakis

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

Consideration of Aragorn’s mythical role as rightful and sacrificial king in The Lord of the Rings. Using studies of the structure and function of kingship in folklore and mythology, presents instances of self-sacrifice in Aragorn’s story to show how he exemplifies ancient patterns of regenerative sacrifice.

Tolkien As A Child Of The Green Fairy Book, Ruth Berman

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

Considers the influence of some of Tolkien’s earliest childhood reading, the Andrew Lang fairy books, and the opinions he expressed about these books in “On Fairy-stories.” Examines the series for possible influences on Tolkien’s fiction in its portrayal of fairy queens, dragons, and other fantasy tropes.

Imitative Desire In Tolkien's Mythology: A Girardian Perspective, Hayden Head

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

Tests the theories of literary critic René Girard against selected stories from The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion and finds some interesting cases of applicability, particularly in the connected stories of Morgoth, Sauron, and Saruman, and in the various Ring-bearers, particularly Gollum. Contrasts Tom Bombadil’s lack of desire and envy.

Letters To Malcolm And The Trouble With Narnia: C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, And Their 1949 Crisis, Eric Seddon

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

Proposes an intriguing solution to the question of Tolkien and Lewis’s estrangement in 1949: that it was Tolkien’s objections to anti-Catholic sentiments expressed in Lewis’s Letters to Malcolm and some beliefs deeply incompatible with Tolkien’s Catholicism expressed in the depiction of Aslan in the Chronicles of Narnia that initially estranged them.

The Enigma Of Radagast: Revision, Melodrama, And Depth, Nicholas Birns

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

Investigates the tangled textual history of Radagast, a much-neglected character, and what it says about Tolkien’s writing technique and care in making revisions. Investigates changes in his function between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and why and how he disappears from the later story.

“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.

Nazis, Mythology, And Totalitarian Minds In Kurt Vonnegut's Mother Night, Gilbert Mcinnis

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

Discusses the Nazi appropriation and mythologization of Darwinian evolutionary theories in Kurt Vonnegut’s Mother Night.

Reviews, Jason Fisher, Charles A. Huttar, Andrew Lazo

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

Milton, Spenser, and the Chronicles of Narnia: Literary Sources for C.S. Lewis's Novels. Elizabeth Baird Hardy. Reviewed by Charles A. Huttar.

C.S. Lewis: Life, Works, and Legacy. Edited by Bruce L. Edwards. Reviewed by Jason Fisher.

The Company They Keep: C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien as Writers in Community. Diana Pavlac Glyer. Reviewed by Andrew Lazo.

Roots and Branches: Selected Papers on Tolkien. Tom Shippey. Reviewed by Jason Fisher.

The Centre Of The Inklings: Lewis? Williams? Barfield? Tolkien?, Diana Pavlac Glyer

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

Considers which of the Inklings might be considered the “centre” of the group through a discussion of the dynamics of the writing workshop. On the basis of studies of successful writing groups, concludes the Inklings are a model of the type of group which includes several different types of leaders, but no authoritative overall leader.

Archaeology And The Sense Of History In J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth, Deborah Sabo

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

Looks at ruins and other archaeological sites in Middle-earth and their place in the cultural history of its various races, and by reflection, the place of archaeology in our own cultural memories. Considers Lake-town, the Barrow-Downs, Weathertop, and other locations to show differing attitudes toward and uses of the past.

Maldon And Moria: On Byrhtnoth, Gandalf, And Heroism In The Lord Of The Rings, Alexander M. Bruce

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

A close look at “The Battle of Maldon” and how Tolkien’s opinion of Bryhtnoth’s actions echoes through his Beowulf essay, “The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm’s Son,” and even into the character of Gandalf.

At Home And Abroad: Éowyn's Two-Fold Figuring As War Bride In The Lord Of The Rings, Melissa Smith

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

A reading of Éowyn as a war-bride, providing new insights into her relationships with both Aragorn and Faramir and into the challenges facing war-brides throughout history. Considers her as the left-behind war bride in her interactions with Aragorn, and as the war bride accompanying her husband to a new country with Faramir.

Pagan Beliefs In The Serpent's Tooth, Joe R. Christopher

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

An examination of the pagan belief structure in The Serpent’s Tooth, Diana Paxson’s retelling of King Lear. Discusses her use of source material in Shakespeare, Geoffrey of Monmouth, and early pagan religious beliefs.

Joyous Peggy And Amazing Lillian: The Life And Works Of Lillian Grace Copp, Deidre A. Johnson

English Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.