Weeks 10-12
Modernism:
What does 'The Wasteland' mean?
1) how has it been interpreted? (cite examples)
2)what are some of the key features
3) In what way has it been influential
Post-Modernism
1) What common qualities do 'the beats' share? Why 'beats'?
2) How is beat poetry linked to rap?
3) How was Bob Dylan's 'Masters of War' involved in controversy during the Bush administration?
4) On what grounds was 'Howl' accused of being obscene - grounds for the defense?
5) What kind of protest song/rap other media have come out in the last decade? Is there a spirit of protest anymore?
What does 'The Wasteland' mean?
1) how has it been interpreted? (cite examples)
2)what are some of the key features
3) In what way has it been influential
Post-Modernism
1) What common qualities do 'the beats' share? Why 'beats'?
2) How is beat poetry linked to rap?
3) How was Bob Dylan's 'Masters of War' involved in controversy during the Bush administration?
4) On what grounds was 'Howl' accused of being obscene - grounds for the defense?
5) What kind of protest song/rap other media have come out in the last decade? Is there a spirit of protest anymore?
Weeks 7-9
1. How is the Romantic notion of the Sublime reflected in the ideological, conceptual and linguistic construction of the texts under consideration in this Romanticism reader? Discuss one or two examples...
2. Go online and see if you can find out anything about what really happened at the Villa Diodati that fateful summer in 1816...
3. How many fictional accounts (film and other narrative media) can you find about that? Provide some useful links, including Youtube clips (hint: for a start try Ken Russel Gothic on Youtube).
4. Discuss the links between the Villa Diodati "brat-pack" and the birth of Gothic as a modern genre with reference to specific texts by the authors who gathered there and subsequent texts (e.g. The Vampire >> Dracula, etc).
3. How many fictional accounts (film and other narrative media) can you find about that? Provide some useful links, including Youtube clips (hint: for a start try Ken Russel Gothic on Youtube).
4. Discuss the links between the Villa Diodati "brat-pack" and the birth of Gothic as a modern genre with reference to specific texts by the authors who gathered there and subsequent texts (e.g. The Vampire >> Dracula, etc).
Weeks 4-6
1. Cite some variations in the Loathly Lady fabula across the three tales in your Reader. Focus on the conditions by which the lady is either beautiful or ugly, and the actions of the knight/king/"hero"...
2. The Wife of Bath's Tale is considered by some critics to indicate that Chaucer may have been a feminist. Why might they believe this? Do you agree? Remember to cite evidence from the text or some other source.
3.Hahn's essay (see critical reader)on The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnelleidentifies the motif of the loathly lady, but arguesit has a different purpose than asserting the feminine. What does he think the function of the story is?
4. In the context of Elizabethan and Jacobean sonnets, how can we define "conceits"?
5. Discuss what you think is the most striking or outrageous example.
6. What does Revard (1997) suggest about the relationship between language, sex, power and transgression in the English Renaissance?
2. The Wife of Bath's Tale is considered by some critics to indicate that Chaucer may have been a feminist. Why might they believe this? Do you agree? Remember to cite evidence from the text or some other source.
3.Hahn's essay (see critical reader)on The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnelleidentifies the motif of the loathly lady, but arguesit has a different purpose than asserting the feminine. What does he think the function of the story is?
4. In the context of Elizabethan and Jacobean sonnets, how can we define "conceits"?
5. Discuss what you think is the most striking or outrageous example.
6. What does Revard (1997) suggest about the relationship between language, sex, power and transgression in the English Renaissance?
Weeks 1-3
1. What genres do the following texts belong to?
Voluspa, Volsunga Saga, Beowulf, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.
Give some examples from these texts that support your identification (for example: "Voluspa is an example of the _____ genre, as the following references to gods from the poem illustrate: "Hear my words / you holy gods' (l.1) "By Odin's Will I'll speak the ancient lore" (l.3), etc).
2. What are some possible features of residual (or "secondary") orality preserved in Voluspa, according to the criteria Ong (1982) advances?
3. Identify a central incident that happens in at least four of the above texts, and discuss how it is both similar and different in each example (remember to site from the original texts).
4. How did Tolkien draw on the Old Norse and Old English texts in his Hobbit and Lord of the Rings fantasy novels? Provide some concrete examples.
5. Discuss how Tolkien's use of "tradition" (e.g. older literary sources) differs from the techniques and agendas of modernism (see Week 7 in your Reader).
6. What place do the old myths have in the modern world?
7. How does the film Beowulf and Grendel "problematise" the hero-myth of Beowulf ?
8. Discuss what you think any of these texts desire (in the sense of their intention, how they wish to be received, what pleasures they offer).
Voluspa, Volsunga Saga, Beowulf, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.
Give some examples from these texts that support your identification (for example: "Voluspa is an example of the _____ genre, as the following references to gods from the poem illustrate: "Hear my words / you holy gods' (l.1) "By Odin's Will I'll speak the ancient lore" (l.3), etc).
2. What are some possible features of residual (or "secondary") orality preserved in Voluspa, according to the criteria Ong (1982) advances?
3. Identify a central incident that happens in at least four of the above texts, and discuss how it is both similar and different in each example (remember to site from the original texts).
4. How did Tolkien draw on the Old Norse and Old English texts in his Hobbit and Lord of the Rings fantasy novels? Provide some concrete examples.
5. Discuss how Tolkien's use of "tradition" (e.g. older literary sources) differs from the techniques and agendas of modernism (see Week 7 in your Reader).
6. What place do the old myths have in the modern world?
7. How does the film Beowulf and Grendel "problematise" the hero-myth of Beowulf ?
8. Discuss what you think any of these texts desire (in the sense of their intention, how they wish to be received, what pleasures they offer).
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteTime for a comment!
ReplyDeleteI don’t think that there is much difference between mythology and fantasy. After all, the word myth is listed as a synonym for fantasy. With so many similarities between a myth and fantasy, particularly Tolkien’s high fantasy, it is no wonder that he was able to draw on Old Norse and Old English texts when creating his world.
ReplyDeleteFor starters, the main definition of a myth is “a traditional or legendary story, usually concerning some being or hero or event, with or without a determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation, especially one that is concerned with deities or demigods and explains some practice, rite, or phenomenon of nature.” (Dictionary.reference.com). In Voluspa, the heroes are Bur’s sons, and the event is that they created what is essentially the writer’s physical world. “Then Bur’s sons lifted up the land and made Midgard, men’s fair dwelling; the sun shone out of the south, and bright grass grew from the ground of stone.” In Tolkien’s Hobbit, the hero is Bilbo Baggins. The event in that story is similar to that of Voluspa, except that instead of creating a physical world, Bilbo Baggins is expanding his mental world by going out of his comfort zone and going on an adventure with the dwarves.
From my limited knowledge of The Hobbit (I know nothing about LOTR), I can only assume that Tolkien borrowed some character archetypes as well. The quote “by Odin’s will,” in Voluspa gives me the impression that Odin is a wise, all knowing type of character. He seems similar to Gandalf (or Gandalf seems similar to him) in the sense that I also get the impression that Gandalf is the wise, all knowing type of character.
Beyond this, I cannot compare further, as I am still in the process of reading The Hobbit.
Hi Ashleigh, just wondered were you answering question four?
DeleteI agree with parts of what you are saying Ashleigh. I thought it was great how you drew parallels between Voluspa and the Hobbit (creating a physical world in Voluspa and expanding Bilbo’s mental world in The Hobbit). Also I very much agree that there are archetypes in both these texts.
DeleteWhat I don’t agree on is when you say that there is not much difference between mythology and fantasy. My understanding of myths are that they have a psychological truth within the culture from which they originate. For example there is a Maori myth that if one dares to swim under the Weta bridge they will be dragged under by a taniwha. I have been told this story multiple times by my Maori grandmother. The truth though is that there is a hole in the river bed which creates a rip, therefore if you swim there you will drown. Back in the day Maori would have made up a story to make sense of these disasters to warn people from swimming under this bridge and thus a myth was created. Therefore myths do have some spark of truth within them, “Mythology is the collected stories a culture uses to explain how the world works.” (Burde, 2013).
Fantasy can be seen to seem similar to myths, however when it comes to fantasy there is no need for a basis of fact. “In fantasy the thinker can rescind some of the laws of the physical and social world and thus make events appear as he wishes them to be.” (vspages.com).
So yes Tolkien did draw on Norse mythology but he also created a great deal of LOTR and The Hobbit in his own head and because he did this he clearly falls into the fantasy genre.
Yeah, after talking with Mike I have come to realise that I was wrong in my original comment. I agree with you Mary, mythology does have some truth to it. Some notes that I took from the lecture on Monday were that Tolkien kind of filled in the gaps of the old myths to create The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings series, so I suppose, not knowing much about the Old Norse myths or The Hobbit, that's where I got confused.
DeleteWell thought through, Ashleigh. The Hobbit of course is also a children's story, which is yet another genre!
DeleteTolkien's works incorporate much influence from Norse mythology reflecting his lifelong passion for those stories and his academic career in Germanic philology. In his early teens, Tolkien was sent to King Edwards School in Birmingham where he developed a fascination with languages. He later recalled in an interview on his interest in languages, he said “I first began to seriously invent languages about… when I thirteen or fourteen. I never stopped really. Languages have a flavor to me that are, I never understood people saying ‘that’s awfully dry. A new language to me is like new wine or new sweet or something.” His passion for languages drew him to study philology and he was elected professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford University at the age of thirty-three. His own scholarly interest was in Northern Europeans, Old English, and Anglo-Saxon in which he said, “I recognize the first time when I saw it.” Not that he had been educated, informed or told about it, but that he, somehow, instinctively he already knew it and remembered it somehow. The world of Old Norse and Anglo-Saxon epics, with its heroic battles and fabulous beasts Tolkien’s imagination. Many of its themes and characters found their way in reinvented form within his fiction.
ReplyDelete“The Hobbit” is no exception to this; the work shows influences from northern European literature, myths and languages and the strong influence of Norse mythology, especially from the Poetic “Edda” and the Prose “Edda.” Examples include the names of some characters, such as Fili, Kili, Oin, Gloin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Dori, Nori, Dwalin, Balin, Dain, Nain, Thorin Oakenshield and Gandalf (deriving from the Old Norse names Fíli, Kíli, Oin, Glói, Bivör, Bávörr, Bömburr, Dori, Nóri, Dvalinn, Bláin, Dain, Nain, Þorin Eikinskialdi and Gandálfr). But whilst their names are from Old Norse. But I suspect the characters of the dwarves were more directly taken from fairy tales such as “Snow White” and “Snow-White and Rose-Red” as collected by the Brothers Grimm.
While in “The Lord of the Rings”, the work also shows the same influences as well. The genesis began during his days at King Edwards, like every school children, he developed very close friendships with three friends, Christopher Wiseman, G. B. Smith and Rob Gilson. Whom they went on to form the Council of London and Tolkien experience a revelation and he realized he wanted to become a poet, to be creative writer. This became the beginning of his journey into the creation of his greatest legacy – Middle Earth. The Council of London helped Tolkien in inventing his first Elvish language. Up to this point, he had studied Latin, Greek, Old English and other Old European languages. But what inspired him to invent the language of Quenya was Charles Eliot’s Finnish Grammar while he was an undergraduate:
Arevelee, ajattelevi,
Pitkin paatansa pitavi:
Kenpa maita kylvamahan,
Toukoja tihittamahan?
Excerpt from the Finnish epic “The Kalevala”
“Et Earello Endorenna utulien.”
“Out of the Great Sea to Middle-Earth I am come”
Quenya excerpt from “The Lord of the Rings”
Welsh also intrigued Tolkien, a language he was also very fond of, and invented the Elvish language of Sindarin. Which is rather like Welsh in its fanatic structure:
“Mae’r byd wedi newid,
teimlaf ef yn y dwr,
teimlaf ef yn y ddaear,
fedra’I ei aroglu yn yr awyr.”
Welsh translation of Sindarin
“I amar prestart aen.
Han mathon ne nen,
Han mathon ne chae,
A han noston ned.”
“The world has changed.
I can feel it in the water,
I can feel it in the earth,
I can smell it in the air.”
Sindarin excerpt from “The Lord of the Rings”
Tolkien drew on old English in both the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings as source of inspiration and a way of recognising the importance of language. As Simon has already said Tolkiens view of literature and history was greatly influenced and shaped by Norse mythology however it was the impact that Old English had on him that gave life to the creation of two new dialects Quenya and Elvish. Both of these fictional languages have the roots of old English and share meanings with the language that is commonly known today. In some translations of the Lord of the Rings it can be understood as a translation of the hobbits account of the War of the Ring to which was recorded in their own language and then translated into old English, creating a sense of authenticity within this fictional dialect Tolkien created. The languages spoken in both the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings are a significant factor in why the novels were so successful as they were given a sense of life and had the ability to transport audiences into another world while still having some distinct parallels.
DeleteOne significant example of how important of a part old English played in Tolkiens work is the name Gollum. A central character to the novels, Gollums’ real name, Smeagol, is derived from an Old English verb which means‘to think’. The trend of using Old English words for names with deep rooted meaning continues with Sarauman, one of the major antagonists in the story. His name is derived from the old English word of searu which translates to mean cunning and treacherous (The Bosworth-Toller Anglo-Saxon Dictionary’s entry for “Searu”). Clive Tolley author of A New Introduction to Old English states that it is ‘uncertain whether the word is being used with a good or bad meaning” and whether or not Tolkien has used this on purpose as a way for the audience to foreshadow the intentions of a character prior to an event or plot change happening.
As has been stated, Tolkien had a fascination with languages. By the time he was 23 he was fluent in Latin, Greek, Old English, Anglo Saxon, Welsh, Finnish and Gothic, and whilst he went on to create his own languages, those that he learnt in his younger years have influenced his writing. He then became intrigued with legends and myths relating to the countries where these languages were born. There was the Norse, the Roman, the Celtic and the Christian language. England did not have its own mythology so he wrote short stories and poems in his own language, Qenya, and he felt these poems and stories could have taken place in English mythology.
DeleteTolkien created several more of his own languages for The Lord of the Rings and Silmarillion (another of his works). These include entish, the language spoken by tree men, dwarvish, black speech and two kinds of elvish and Sindarin. These new languages were based on some of the old languages that Tolkien had studied. He was also inspired by Celtic Tales, the Edda, the Bible and pieces from William Shakespeare among others. Tolkien’s profound acquaintance with Old English literature along with his professorship of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford, was crucial to his story-telling.
Tolkien’s distress regarding languages and cultures ceasing to exist in the 20th century were echoed in his books. For example, the population of elves, ents, hobbits and dwarves on Middle Earth was decreasing which related back to his concerns.
Norse mythology was certainly a source of inspiration to Tolkien. Because he was trying to create a mythology that would suit England, he needed to create people, unlike men to be characters, thus he created Gandalf, who has similar characteristics to Odin. They are the old wise man archetype. “Many creatures and landscapes connect Tolkien’s Middle-Earth to Old Norse literature.” (University of Highlands and Islands). Another common theme in old Norse literature is the feature of magical, powerful rings. The ring is a central plot element in The Hobbit and the core of the tale in The Lord of the Rings.
Many character and place names in The Lord of the Rings are related to words from old and modern languages. In Michael N. Stanton’s book ‘Hobbits, Elves, and Wizards’, he provides examples of the historical links for some of Tolkien's characters names. For example:
"Sauron" is linked to the Old Norse or Icelandic stem meaning "filth" or "dung" or "uncleanness."
"Mordor" derives from the Old English word "morthor," which means "murder."
A considerable number of characters and locations in Tolkien’s work have a name deeply rooted in Old English. For example, we have the Rohirrim, the people of the realm of Rohan. They speak a language, Rohirric, rendered by Tolkien as the Mercian dialect of Old English (Mercian was a dialect spoken in the kingdom of Anglo-Saxon prior to the 9th century). Also another illustration of old English influences being present is in the third book in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of the King. This was a reference to King Arthur, who was supposed to return in the future. Aragorn returns and takes his rightful place as King in the trilogy.
Riddles have had a treasured place in Old English literature, and many of them have survived to present times. The riddle competition in The Hobbit is a part where Tolkien shows his in-depth knowledge and use of Old English literature. In the Hobbit, the creature Gollum invites Bilbo Baggins to a riddle competition with fairly high stakes: “It must have a competition with us, my preciouss! If precious asks, and it doesn’t answer, we eats it, my preciousss.”
Hi All, like what Simon has said, Tolkien’s view of literature and history was greatly influenced and shaped by Norse Mythology however it was the impact that Old English had on him that gave him the ideas to create new languages such as Elvish. The mental power used to create these languages must have been astronomical as it is a fully usable language. When Mary said that y the age of 23, he was fluent in Anglo Saxon, Welsh, Finnish, Gothic, Latin, Greek and Old English, it made it seem all the more plausible that he was able to create these false yet still seemingly real languages. The fact that he bothered to learn all these languages (even a dead one!) made his dedication levels also seem very competent. Simon says that Tolkien’s real inspiration came from Charles Eliot’s Finish Grammar while he himself was still an undergraduate. This interests me because it makes it seem clear that someone being so interested in a subject can bring on all wonders of the earth, such as inventing languages. I like that Jess touches on Sméagol’s transformation into Gollum by explaining that Sméagol’s name translated into English means ‘to think’ While then going on to say that Saurumans name translated into old English means to be cunning or treacherous. I find this very funny because of the irony. I believe that Tolkien studied and brought into his own work Old English for the hobbit and rings series. This is where he got inspiration to create the languages seen in the series.
DeleteExcellent comment, Patrick, and some fine use of research by Mary. high quality discussion. Great comment by Jessica on Tolkien the linguist. After all, he was a Linguist by profession!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteFor Jessica; have to concur with Mike. Great comment, especially on the character of Gollum. For Mary; amazing research, especially on the names of Tolkien's characters and his languages. I did not know that, thank you to the both if you. Finally for Patrick; thank you for agreeing me and yes it is funny what I dug up in my own spare time researching Tolkien. Thank you all.
Delete
ReplyDeleteWhat place do the old myths have in the modern world?
The American Heritage dictionary defines myth as “a fiction or half-truth, especially one that forms part of an ideology”.
Voluspa, Volsunga Saga, Beowulf, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings are all great works of literature based upon mythic themes and stories. These old myths are instrumental in understanding the cultural and societal values at the time in which they were written. David Day states in his book A Tolkien Bestiary that these old myths “reveal a truer and fuller vision of the human mind and soul than all the historical, psychological and anthropological studies ever devised”A myth is seen as a story presented as a historical event that deals with the traditions specific to the culture or group of people. Myths have a place in the modern world as they provide a link to the history of some of the world’s oldest cultures. To make them relevant and accessible in the modern world these old myths are being translated and presented in a way that everybody can read and understand.
The old myths continue to be relevant and needed in the modern world based on the influence that old myths have on modern day literature and film. Without the Greek and Norse myths we would not have films such as Thor, the Avengers, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief as well as what is considered the greatest piece of modern day mythology the Lord of the Rings. The authors of these modern day pieces have all acknowledged the influence of the ancient myths as well as it being very notable and present as they have taken some of the old Gods themselves and put them in a modern setting. By doing so a wider audience is now viewing a God such as Thor, children are now exposed to these tales and a new life is breathed into the myths. The influence of old myths continue further than direct effect – the Harry Potter series which is a great source of entertainment is riddled with mythology from characters names to the spells that they use, all provide a link to the old myths. Game of Thrones author George RR Martin has admitted that he draws inspiration from Norse mythology as it is so intricate and complicated that it is often more exciting than history itself. The influence old myths have on todays entertainment extends into both gaming and music. These modern fantasy series and works are establishing cult followings in their own rights and as there is such an array of myths to draw inspiration from it will continue to do so and evolve to suit the social climate it will be in.
You can also see the continued influence of the old myths in art and architecture. The Auckland War Memorial Museum is built based on the Parthenon in Athens, which was considered to be home to the Greek Gods. For something that was a modern day structure and is very much part of our world today if the old Myths weren’t still relevant do you think they would have built such a significant building in this style?
I couldn't agree more with this response, Jessica.
DeleteThe mythological examples in today's entertainment industry are a great point of how mythology influences the modern world.
The popular film, The Mask, stars Jim Carrey and is about a man who possesses great powers of the Norse god, Loki, who alternates between helping other gods and causing problems for them. The film draws from Loki's constantly changing attitude and sets Carrey's character in a series of issues occurring in the modern day. The sudden switching of a mythological god in modern day not only amplified the comedy used in the film, but also garnered a large fan-base due to the absurd nature of the storyline.
I would also go so far as to say that we are surrounded by mythological references in our daily life, perhaps sometimes without even being aware of them. One of the more well-known terms, Trojan, refers to a hollow wooden horse built by the Greeks in order to enter and destroy the city of Troy during battle in Greek mythology. The term is often used today in reference to a virus that is 'hidden' in files for the naive computer-user to download, eventually causing problems and corrupting information on the computer system. There are many examples like this; the modern world knows Nike as a sports brand, however, the term originates from the goddess of victory in Greek mythology, likely contributing to the well-established brand's distinctive label. Perhaps a lesser-known example is that of Ajax, a popular cleaning product used in many households worldwide, which is named after one of the more strong and mighty Greek warriors who fought in the Trojan war. Ajax was mainly used in battle due to his towering size and was considered the strongest warrior known after Achilles.
What many don't realise in today's society is that even something as small as a single word can have mythological origin. The word 'panic' is defined by the Oxford dictionary as 'Sudden uncontrollable fear or anxiety, often causing wildly unthinking behaviour' and is a commonly used word today, however, it was originally derived from the shepherd god in Greek mythology, Pan, who enjoyed terrifying herds of goats and sheep to the state of agonising fear. The term was coined together by the ancient Greeks who noticed the same state of fear their enemies felt was similar to that of Pan's terrified animals.
These are just a few examples of the mythological influences in our every day lives, whether we notice them or not. Although we do not necessarily believe in many of the tales, their histories have helped to shape some of the most popular films, books, words and objects used today due to their given meaning from mythological times.
What I find quite surprising is that despite the obvious influences that we find on a daily basis in our lives, many people may never know just how much of the modern day has been influenced by mythology, even with such a large fan-base surrounding such films and books as Lord of the Rings and Beowulf.
What place do myths have in the modern world?
DeleteI agree with all points that Jessica and Shams have made. As I have mentioned before, humans have used myth making to explain the world to themselves, and also to help them to envisage a brighter future.
Mythology is the oldest form of storytelling. These days myths are woven into many areas of new media including movies, games and comic books. This has come about because myths are the creators of the origins of storylines. To make old myths current and comprehensible they need to be modernised so that they become relevant. “Myths are an organised collection for stories by which we explain our beliefs and our history.” (Joseph Campbell).
Almost every culture has had its own story at one time or another. Until studying this subject I was reasonably unaware of just how much our every day modern life is influenced by mythology, “All human cultures are designed around a complicated network of myths.” (Mark Tanner). Shams mentioned how mythology was very influential in the gaming world and I have seen this for myself clearly. We only need to look at examples such as God of War, which encounters almost every single mythical creature/god known, whilst Wrath of Gods actually requires knowledge of Greek myths to play. Another game that is particularly interesting, if you have a fascination in Greek, Egyptian or Nordic mythology is The Age of Mythology, which includes elements such as the pyramids, the presence of Odin’s ravens and visits to Troy.
There has been a renewed interest with mythology in movies. Iron Man and Man of Steel are films which feature powerful men who exert their abilities and robust physical forms; they fly, they shoot, they shine. These men are based on the ‘hero’ mythological stereotype. Tony Stark (Iron Man) in particular has been created as a modernised hero. He is a billionaire industrialist and inventor. As a modern hero he is also fashioned with flaws. In mythological times, it was very rare to have the ‘hero’ depicted as anything other than perfect; he was to be idolised. In current times most heroes are now created with flaws as this makes them more human and relatable.
Comic books and cartoon shows such as Wonder woman and Hercules employ mythology for their entire plot development and character archetypes. Children constantly imitate these characters nowadays so here is another example where mythology affects the modern day world.
I agree with Sham’s opinion on how myths come into everyday life. In my experience I often hear the use of sayings such as Pandora’s box, which according to the Urban dictionary means, getting into a situation over which one has very little control over. Another saying is Achilles heel, meaning a flaw or weakness and this is another direct reference to Greek mythology.
Another high quality thread. Research shows in informed comment. Arguably, according to the psychologist, Carl Jung, myths arise from our deepest unconscious, and speak to us in images and symbols
Delete1. What genres do the following texts belong to?
ReplyDeleteVoluspa, Volsunga Saga, Beowulf, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.
Voluspa is a poem about a woman called Volva who is reciting “the ancient lore.” She goes on to tell the story of the creation myth, “Nothing was there when time began, neither sands nor seas nor cooling waves.” Voluspa is an old Icelandic poem known as Poetic Edda. It marks the end of the heathen era and the beginning of the Christian age. It is part of the mythological poetry genre because the subject matter within the poem is gods, and demi-gods, for example:
“Then the holy gods met to give judgement,
the holy gods took counsel together.”
Beowulf has been translated many times. Beowulf was a flawed hero, unlike mythical heroes such as Hercules and Samson. He is a flawed hero because he causes his own downfall. Beowulf’s author is unknown and was supposedly composed sometime between the 8th and 11th century. Written in old English, it was a source for historical facts. It combines the Norse paganism with early Christianity.
The lengthy narrative poem contains events and heroic deeds important to a cultural nation. Beowulf causes his own demise and along with the fact that he is of noble birth makes him an epic hero. He proves his strength against all odds by battling with supernatural beasts and demons, travelling great distances to do so.
Traditionally Beowulf has been defined as a heroic epic poem. Some say it fits into fantasy and romance genre, but it is mostly seen as ‘epic’ and certainly has elements of each of these genres. Having said this, it is also a founding work for the epic fantasy genre and is one of the most influential texts in history.
Continuation of question 1.
ReplyDeleteVolsunga Saga is the story of love and betrayal, adventure and disaster, expanding over several generations. It was about the heroism and tragedy of two families; the Volsungs and the Giukings. Volsunga Saga is largely based on epic poetry, it is a legendary saga. According to D. L. Ashliman (2010) It was the first to be written down, based on the heroic poems in the Poetic Edda. It was written in the 13th century by an unknown author from Iceland. Volsunaga Saga fits into the fantasy epic poetry genre because of its supernatural creatures (a dragon) and also because it a text that has lasted through the ages and has been a basis for many other stories. “J. R. R. Tolkien also adapted much of it(Volsunga Saga) into a novel-length epic poem called The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún, taking a bit of creative license to fit the tone of his own legendarium.” (tvtropes.org).
The Hobbit has been placed under many genres from fantasy, comic epic, children’s story, heroic quest to satire. It was written in the English language sometime around early 1930s and was first told orally to Tolkien’s children in Oxford, England.
The anonymous narrator, who tells the story of The Hobbit, is humorous and playful. He often speaks in comic voice and describes the characters with humour. For example Bilbo is often called “the poor little fellow” or “Mr Baggins”, thus why The Hobbit partially fits into the satire genre. By using causal and light tone and making frequent jokes, the narrator creates large parts of his story to be not taken too seriously by his readers and at the same time this light tone makes it a suitable book for children. At times the tone darkens somewhat particularly when the characters travel through Mirkwood. In the words of Edmund Wilson, "It is essentially a children's book - a children's book which has somehow got out of hand."
Tolkien created an imaginary world (Middle-Earth) and filled it with fantastical characters such as elves, dwarves, dragons, wizards and he even created a new supernatural character; a hobbit. Through doing so, his story became very much a part of the fantasy genre.
While Lord of the Rings fits into the fantasy genre (as stated above), it also embodies action, adventure and drama. But at the end of the day I feel it also fits into ‘classic literature’ because of the depth and meaning of this work. Lord of the Rings was inspired by Tolkien’s time of service in world war ll, which is evident in particular by the locations of the countries he has included in Middle-Earth which correspond to Europe.
Excellent comments Mary, especially comments on Tolkien. Interesting that by the time we get to LOTR the satirical element seems to have gone. I find LOTR a bit ponderous because of that.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, modernism is a search for new forms of expression. In the case of fantasy fiction, the act of modernism has altered the world of fantasy. Whereas traditionally, fantasy fiction was complete fantasy, set in an entirely (or almost entirely) made up world, modernism has changed the setting of fantasy novels to take place in our world, with fantastical elements.
ReplyDeleteThe language that Tolkien uses is quite traditional in comparison to modern fantasy novels, such as Twilight, the Morganville Vampires and Harry Potter. Whereas modern novels use colloquial language, Tolkien seems to stick to the traditional structure and formal language of older versions of English (old English, middle English).
The modern fantasy novel – like Harry Potter – is set in a world primarily like our own, with fantastical elements, such as enchanted castles (Hogwarts) or hidden train station platforms (Platform 9 & ¾). The way Tolkien creates his novels is certainly more traditional than modern. His Hobbit/LOTR novels are set in Middle Earth, still on our planet, but the similarities stop there. There is The Hill, the lake, but no mention of places in our world, like a courthouse or a shopping mall. There are hardly any humans mentioned in the Hobbit (as far as I’ve read up to) and the creatures (such as goblins) seem more gruesome and terrifying than the glorified vampires and witches we see throughout the modern fantasy genre in both TV and fiction.
Continuation of Answer:
DeleteThe construction of the modern fantasy novel is also different to Tolkien’s traditional methods. After talking with Mike, I realised that modernism tries to draw you into the story, make you think. Modern fantasy novels more often than not require you to read between the lines to find out what could be or what is happening in the story. It’s usually aided or created by the use of an unreliable narrator. One novel I know that follows modernist techniques is ‘The God Boy’. I remember the novel for it’s unreliable narrator, a 13 year old boy who knew nothing of adult matters. In the novel is the touchy topic of abortion in the fifties, and if my English teacher hadn’t pointed it out, I would never have noticed. The unreliable narrator is so unreliable, that the novel was just so unenjoyable and I never finished it.
Tolkien is more traditional in the way that he writes, because there are no unreliable narrators. As Mike said, there are unreliable characters – in The Hobbit, Bilbo kept changing his mind about going with the dwarves, and throughout his journey he constantly wishes he was back home – but Tolkien writes a face value novel, so there is no thinking required. His aims seems to have been to write an enjoyable novel – which it was, as when he first wrote the novel, he wrote it for his young son.
In the poem, Beowulf, a hero of the Geats in Scandinavia, comes to the aid of Hroðgar, the king of the Danes, whose mead hall has been under attack by a monster known as Grendel. After Beowulf slays him and then his mother. Victorious, Beowulf goes home to Geatland and later becomes king of the Geats. After a period of fifty years has passed, Beowulf defeats a dragon, but is fatally wounded in the battle. After his death, his attendants bury him in a tumulus, a burial mound, in Geatland.
ReplyDeleteNow, Beowulf is the biggest possible hero anyone can imagine. He’s not afraid to lose his life. This is exactly what a hero in his culture must have been like. Willing to lay down his life for honor and glory. Beowulf really is a heroic figure like the heroes in Norse mythology. His powers exceed those of an ordinary man. In a way, he is the equivalent to a superhero in our modern day superhero movies. In a dark age, when terror was everywhere and heroes were few. The myth of Beowulf resonated as the ultimate clash between good and evil. Between a valiant warrior and a myriad of monstrous enemies. In the myth, Beowulf’s first nemesis – the monster, Grendel, has an intriguing link to the Christian bible. The text says that he has ascended from the line of Kane, as well as his mother. According to the Old Testament, Kane, son of Adam, was mankind’s first murderer. He slayed his brother, Abel, out of jealousy and came to symbolize the worst of human passions. Grendel inherits that vile legacy. In the myth, the monster holds Denmark under siege for twelve years. After he decimates the King’s warriors, Grendel turns his rage on innocent civilians. But there is one person he cannot harm – the Danish King, Hroðgar. Like many real kings of the dark ages, he was thought to have the power of God on his side. All of Hroðgar’s warriors have failed him. But in the nearby land of Geatland, there is one who will stand above all others. Beowulf knows there is only one way in achieving everlasting distinction. To do what no man before has done – He must slay Grendel. When Beowulf ultimately defeats Grendel, he is celebrated as a superhero.
Where as in the film, “Beowulf and Grendel”, while some parts of the film remains true to the original poem, other plot elements deviate from the original poem: three new characters, Grendel's father, the witch Selma, and Grendel's son are introduced, and several related plot points were developed specifically for the film. The film never makes clear whether Grendel and his father are actually "trolls", monsters from Norse mythology, or simply human beings with monstrous deformities. Beowulf as presented constantly doubts the Danes' assertion (and later, that of his own men) that the troll is a monster of all encompassing evil. His insight tells him that Grendel is a being of some intelligence and is operating against an evil done against him, which is confirmed by the king's admission to Beowulf that he slew Grendel's father. Beowulf deeply regrets the need to destroy Grendel, and yet accepts the fact that in his world, it must be done.
Where as in the 2007 film “Beowulf”, screenwriters Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary was to offer their own interpretation for motivations behind Grendel's behavior and for what happened when Beowulf was in the cave of Grendel's mother. They justified these choices by arguing that Beowulf acts as an unreliable narrator in the portion of the poem in which he describes his battle with Grendel's mother. These choices also helped them to better connect the third act to the second of their screenplay, which is divided in the poem by a 50-year gap.
DeleteSome of the changes made by the film as noted by scholars include:
• the portrayal of Beowulf as a flawed man and a braggart
• the portrayal of Hrothgar as a womanizing alcoholic
• the portrayal of Grendel as a fragile child-like creature rather than savage demon monster
• the portrayal of Grendel's mother as a beautiful seductress, more of a succubus rather, who bears Grendel as Hrothgar's child and the dragon as Beowulf's child (this is also the case in the plot of the 1999 film Beowulf, with the exception that the dragon is entirely absent there)
• the fact that Beowulf becomes ruler of Denmark instead of his native Geatland
The relationship of the dragon Fafnir to Grendel and his mother, in this version, is not explicitly stated. Fafnir could have been Grendel's mother's original mate but since her son by Beowulf is also a dragon Fafnir may have actually been her son. When Hrothgar kills Fafnir he goes on to sire Grendel. Grendel is a hideously deformed creature and this may be either a result of the immoral character of his father, Hrothgar, or because Grendel is the first half-demon offspring of his mother, and thus an imperfect creation. This latter explanation may be more reasonable as after Beowulf slays Grendel he goes on to sire the final offspring of Grendel's mother, a half demon who can take the form of a gargantuan golden dragon or of a perfectly-formed human male. Scholars and authors have also commented on these changes. Southern Methodist University's Director of Medieval Studies Bonnie Wheeler is "convinced that the new Robert Zemeckis movie treatment sacrifices the power of the original for a plot line that propels Beowulf into seduction by Angelina Jolie—the mother of the monster he has just slain. What man doesn’t get involved with Angelina Jolie?' Wheeler asks. 'It’s a great cop-out on a great poem.' ... 'For me, the sad thing is the movie returns to…a view of the horror of woman, the monstrous female who will kill off the male,' Wheeler says. 'It seems to me you could do so much better now. And the story of Beowulf is so much more powerful.'" Other commentators pointed to the theories elucidated in John Grigsby's work Beowulf and Grendel, where Grendel's mother was linked with the ancient Germanic fertility goddess Nerthus. In addition, philosophy professor Stephen T. Asma argues that "Zemeckis's more tender-minded film version suggests that the people who cast out Grendel are the real monsters. The monster, according to this charity paradigm, is just misunderstood rather than evil (similar to the version presented in John Gardner's novel Grendel). The blame for Grendel's violence is shifted to the humans, who sinned against him earlier and brought the vengeance upon themselves. The only real monsters, in this tradition, are pride and prejudice. In the film, Grendel is even visually altered after his injury to look like an innocent, albeit scaly, little child. In the original Beowulf, the monsters are outcasts because they're bad (just as Cain, their progenitor, was outcast because he killed his brother), but in the film Beowulf the monsters are bad because they're outcasts [...] Contrary to the original Beowulf, the new film wants us to understand and humanize our monsters."
It's been ages since I posted this up and yet no one has commented on it. Why? Could someone please comment on this. Thank you.
DeleteWhat place do myths have in the modern world?
ReplyDeletePersonally I think that the human race have used myths to make sure that people grasp what humanity is like while also being able to explain what is going on in the world and to themselves for future generations. Old myths have made their way into more than just our heads but also into TV shows, as well as movie and video game adaptions, amongst other things with examples such as Hercules, which has helmed the modern appearances of old myths. There is at least one TV show, one film adaption and 1 video game that I can think of off the top of my head that were spawned because of this myth. Greek myths have even been referenced in theme park attractions with rides being created into the Lernaean Hydra to act as a roller coaster with the ride being the subject of old Greece.
(Joseph Campbell), believes that “Myths are an organized collection for stories by which we explain our beliefs and our history.” This further re-enforces my idea that myths are about solidifying our past and making sure that generations are aware of what the world was once like. When we look at Volsupa, Volsunga Saga and Beowulf, we see beautifully crafted written works (and later on visual) that were based entirely off myths that were heard by the authors. To make these decade old stories more relatable, the creators try to make the works more modern so that a new audience can truly grasp what the original story was, but sometimes under different terms so that the ideas are more recognized.
I don’t think that we as people acknowledge how much influence myths have on our everyday surroundings. As Jessica said, the Auckland War Memorial Museum is built to mimic the Parthenon in Athens atop the Acropolis. This and other temples were built to please the gods of Ancient Greece so that they would bring the people of Athens what they wanted. If we continue with the Greek theme, the planets are named after some of the gods of Olympus. While if we go in the Nordic direction with Thor and Beowulf, vast universes are created to hold all the old, great myths and tales, all within one subject. Myths have even gone on to be referenced and recognized in music and activities such as Cosplay. These eras and series help in creating cult groups and followers as people see these things as points of aspiration and even maybe out of respect. If Myths continue on their current route, they will soon be more widely recognized by more people as their relevance is becoming more obvious day by day.
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ReplyDelete1. What genres do the following texts belong to? Volsupa, Volsunga Saga, Beowulf, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.
ReplyDeleteTo me, Volsupa is in the poetry genre and follows a woman Called Volva who is speaking the ancient lore. She then proceeds to go on and tell the story of how the world was created. After a little bit of research I found out that Volsupa originates from Iceland and is know as Poetic Edda. Poetic Edda is a collection of Old Norse poems primarily preserved in the manuscript Codex Regius.
Beowulf was written by an unknown author sometime between the eight and eleventh centuries. To put it into one genre would be to hard because it has characteristics of Poetry, Romance and Fantasy works while also being described as ‘Epic.’ Epic is used because of the strong, heralding themes such as Loyalty and Reputation. Beowulf the character is recognized as flawed as he causes his own death and downfall.
Volsunga Saga is a story that crosses many genres. Fantasy, Action, Love and betrayal are a few that intertwine with two families. The families are the Volsungs and Giukings. Similar to Beowulf, Volsunga Saga is categorized as epic poetry. It was written sometime in the thirteenth century once again from an unknown author in Iceland. Because of the super natural content in Volsunga Saga, we can place it in the fantasy genre. The super natural content within this story is the basis of what a fantasy text should contain.
Since The Hobbit is a prequel to Lord of the rings and since they are set in the same universe we can safely assume that they both fall into the same genres. Both stories contain aspects from children’s, comedy and fantasy genres. The Hobbit was written during the 1930s by J.R.R. Tolkien. Because of the mythological races such as Elves and dwarfs, The Hobbit has been recognized as a precursor for the fantasy genre. The Lord of the rings slightly evolves on The Hobbit by adding elements of the drama genre. The friendships and emotional bonds that join Frodo and Sam on their epic Journey help solidify the themes of Action and Drama. All in all the texts we have discussed vary from genre to genre but do touch on a lot of important literary topics that important during the times of publication. Specific motifs or ideas are modified and reused in a genre and because of this idea; many of the texts have similar ideas being promoted.
5. Discuss how Tolkien's use of "tradition" (e.g. older literary sources) differs from the techniques and agendas of modernism (see Week 7 in your Reader).
ReplyDeleteModernism is define by dictionary.com as ‘a modern character or quality of thought, expression or technique. When we look at Modernism and what has happened because of it, we see that it has influenced the Fantasy genre. If we look closely at what has occurred, we see that fantasy has been differentiated from modernism. Fantasy by itself is set in a completely made up/imagine world where as modernism has kept modern and now settings while throwing in characteristics and motifs common to the fantasy genre. If we compare Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings with Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight, we see that Tolkien sticks to classic language using old and Middle English with absolutely zero slang, whereas in Twilight, more idioms and general jargon are used. Also we have a proper setting; Forks, Washington. Tolkien creates an atmosphere that has a few similarities but is more so different to that of a modern setting. The few similarities can be whittled down to minor areas that just happen to be common among texts. Also something we can touch on is that there are very few humans talked about in the Hobbit, rather other races dominating Middle Earth. Tolkien’s Classic way of writing means that storyline and characters remain constant. Themes and background all remain the same in order to keep a very professional and mature story advancing.
Discuss how Tolkien's use of tradition (older literary sources) differs from the techniques and agendas of modernism?
DeleteAs Patrick has discussed Tolkien not only used traditional languages to create his own world, but he gained inspiration from many of the older literary sources as well. These included norse and greek mythology, fairy tales and the Christian Bible. It is known that Tolkien took significant inspiration from two Icelandic texts called the Edda, from the 13th century to which inspired Tolkien to create and establish the first modern English myth of significance – the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.
As learnt in popular genres last semester there are certain archetypes that characters need to fit into in order for a text to be classified into a genre, the Hobbit has all the characteristics and features of a traditional adventure story. This traditional structure follows or has strong parallels to the Nordic legends to which he was inspired by, the language used and character archetypes also followed similar patterns. However this differs from the techniques and agendas of modernism as it focused on stylistic techniques and wanted to create chaos and confusion. Whilst Tolkien had a focus on creating structured and orderly plot lines and intricate characters his work was rejected and considered ‘low literature’ and nothing more than a story for children. While modernists such as Virginia Woolf and James Joyce were popular with their chaos and confusion Tolkien used traditional archetypes for his characters such as the hero (Sam, Frodo, Bilbo depending on your stance) the mentor (Gandalf) and the villain (Smaug, Sauron) all of which were considered to be to typical and expected. Revamping the literature and breaking down boundaries were not a consideration as Tolkien continued to follow the structure of older literary sources with the good characters possessing all physical and mental attributes while the bad characters are portrayed as being less than desirable in every sense, this allowed every character to be defined without any ambiguity, they were either good or they weren’t- again this was criticised as modernists believed that moral values had no place in literature as they were halting the progression of society.
Despite all of this, Tolkien actually created a work that had hints of modernism techniques and agendas – although he was following a traditional structure and the ideas and themes were common for mythology the characters that we were introduced to were all very original. He also broke down barriers of what is traditional language with the creation of his own three languages for the texts and made his work accessible across generations, social classes and countries. The Hobbit despite its criticism received from the modernists gained instant success with a wide audience unlike many other novels published at the same time.
8. Discuss what you think any of these texts desire (in the sense of their intention, how they wish to be received, what pleasures they offer)
ReplyDeleteThere is no doubt that J.R.R Tolkien wanted to create a piece of work that would stand the test of time, however according to the foreword in the Lord of the Rings he himself states that; "As for any inner meaning or 'message'. it has in the intention of the author none. Tolkien wanted to create a saga that would be used as a form of enjoyment and a pleasure to be read rather than an have an audience attempt to decipher hidden meanings and subliminal themes. The Lord of the Rings was written in an attempt to create a work of escapism- “The tendency to seek distraction and relief from unpleasant realities, especially by seeking entertainment or engaging in fantasy” (Oxford). In the Lord of the Rings Tolkien uses this escapist element to enhance our own reality or rather our expectations of reality.
Due to how complicated and intricate the character relationships and plot is of the saga, there is no doubt that some people would disagree with this statement and would rather believe that the "underlying" themes are there to be found and interpreted. However it is because of all the themes that make it so interesting a captivating to the audience, which was how Tolkien wished it to be received.
It is set in the fantasy world of Middle Earth which takes aspects of our world to draw you in, while combining it with enough fantasy to create a sense of excitement - the harmonious balance which allows works like the Lord of the Rings to be used as a form of escapism, taking you out of the world you are currently in and putting you in a totally new environment. Tolkien has been quoted as saying that "escape and consolation" were the chief functions of writing the novel.
Tolkien saw an opportunity to entertain, with the novel you are given a clear understanding between good and evil, witness to complicated action to which you already feel you know the outcome of all the while this is taking place in a landscape that you feel familiar with. Despite how simple this is, it is the added one dimensional magic with which Tolkien filled each page with, to be taken for face value and not intended to be viewed as a parallel to the bible, no reflection on his childhood but simply a complicated world of fantasy. This fantasyland requires a state of mental effort from the readers to at least attempt to understand what is going on, while you’re trying to grasp what is happening, you forget about what is really going on around you.
Hi Jess, another great post to add to your collection. Straightaway I knew we were on the same page as I also thought J.R.R Tolkien wanted to create a timeless masterpiece and I believe that he did. Your comments later on regarding Tolkien’s attempt being used as a form of pleasure rather then have an audience to decrypt hidden motifs and meanings, I believe is half true. There are plenty of die-hard fans that analyse sentences upon sentences in the hopes of finding a hidden treasure. I also read that Tolkien said that escape and consolation were a driving force behind writing the novel. Tolkien indeed did succeed in creating a riveting series/saga that has proven to readers that a book can be enjoyable whilst also have minimal underlying, confusing and unnecessary tones.
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ReplyDeleteWhat place do myths have in the modern world
ReplyDeleteJoseph Campbell believes that “myths are an organized collection of stories by which we explain our beliefs and our history.” This is a way of reinforcing our beliefs that myths will be able to create a sense of awareness within our generations and those to come of what people once viewed the world to be. An example of which would be Beowulf. When we read the books, we begin to understand how beautifully crafted these books are and begin to see how authors are able to modernize such stories so audiences would be able to relate to it more as well as recognize the ideas.
We as human beings have used myths as a form of getting a grasp of what humanity is really like at the same time being able to explain what is going in the world. Plenty of old myths have all made its way into not only our heads but through television, video games and even comics. At the top of my head, I can think of the video game God of War that is closely based on Greek mythology. Much of its quests are all based on the subject of Greek gods.
However, we hardly take into account of how much myths have influenced our everyday surroundings. Patrick had mentioned in his post earlier that myths have gone on to be referenced and recognized in music and cosplay. Through this, I believe myths do place a relatively huge role in our current day society as it provides as a source of inspiration to our creative minds and does provide as platform for us to wonder about in this world of myths. Myths will most definitely be more recognized by more people in time as it becomes more and more relevant and obvious to us day by day.
What genres do the following texts belong to? Volsupa, Volsunga Saga, Beowulf, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.
ReplyDeleteVolsupa falls under the poetry genre that follows a woman named Volva that speaks in ancient Lore that goes on to tell the story of how the world was created. Volsupa originates from Iceland and is known as the Poetic Edda. The Poetic Edda is a whole collection of Old Norse poems primarily preserved in the manuscript Codex Regius
Beowulf was written sometime between the eight and eleventh century by an unknown author. It would be impossible to fully categorize it as a specific genre as it shares similar characteristics of poetry, romance and fantasy while also being described as an “epic”.An epic is used because of the strong, heralding themes such as Loyalty and Reputation. Beowulf’s character is recognized as flawed as he causes his own death and downfall.
The Volsunga Saga is a story that crosses over various genres. Fantasy, action, love and betrayal are the few that intertwine with two families. The 2 families are Volsungs and Giukings. The Volsunga Saga is categorized as an epic poetry rather similar to Beowulf. Written by an unknown author in the thirteenth century in Iceland, the content of the Volsunga Saga can be placed in the fantasy genre as it has super natural content.
The Hobbit is a prequel to the Lord of The Rings saga and since its been set the same universe, they both fall under the same genre. Both of its story contain aspects from children’s, comedy and fantasy genre. The Hobbit was written by J.R.R Tolkien during the 1930’s and with its mythological races such as the elves and dwarfs, The Hobbit is recognized fully as a fantasy genre. With elements such as drama to help solidify the themes of action and drama, the journey of Frodo and Sam would explain it quite evidently.
Discuss what you think of any of these texts desire (in the sense of their intention, how they wish to be received, what pleasures they offer)
ReplyDeleteJ.R.R Tolkien with no doubt had the intention of creating a piece of work that would stand the test of time. However according the Lord Of The Rings forward, he states that “As for any inner meaning or ‘message’, it has in the intention of the author none.” Tolkien’s idea was to create a saga that would be used as a form of enjoyment and pleasure to be read rather than having the audience attempt to decipher hidden meanings and subliminal themes. Lord of The Rings was written as an attempt to create a work of escapism. Tolkien used the escapist element to enhance our reality or the expectation of our reality.
Due to the characters complicated and complex relationships of the plots saga, people would disagree with the statement and believe that the “underlying themes are there to be found and interpreted. It is because of the themes that captivates and constantly put readers on the edge. Set out in a fantasy world of Middle Earth that extracts aspects of our world to draw you in as well as combining it with enough fantasy to create a sense of excitement, the balance allows works like this to be used as an escapist form taking you into a completely different world. Tolkien has been quoted that “escape and consolation” are the chief functions of writing the novels.
Through this, Tolkien saw the opportunity to entertain with the novel you are given a clear understanding between good and evil. Despite how simple it might seem, it is the added one dimensional magic with which Tolkien filled each page with, to be taken for face value and not intended to be viewed the same way as say, the bible.