For Tuesday: No reading, but see below...

 I'll give you a breather between readings this weekend, but be sure you have our next book, The Word Exchange, since we'll be reading several Anglo Saxon poems that contributed to Tolkien's Middle Earth. Bring the book to class, since we'll be reading/examining some of them as a class to get started. If you want  to read ahead, be sure to look at the poems: "The Ruin" (p.299) and "Wulf and Eadwacer" (p.51). 

Also, as I mentioned in class, I published an article about Tolkien and fantasy literature in Oklahoma Humanities recently which gave me many of the ideas for teaching this class. Since I mostly talk about The Hobbit, it might be interesting for you to read, since it will help signpost some of the topics/ideas we'll explore throughout the course. If you're interested,  you can download the issue for free here (there are other great essays in the same volume, all connected by  the theme "Home"): https://www.okhumanities.org/news/spring-summer-2020-home

For Thursday: Finish The Hobbit (or get close)!

Oops--I forgot to post some questions to consider for Thursday's class! In that case, we won't have a writing on Thursday, but we'll open the class with a different but related activity. You could use a break from writing anyway, right? But be sure to finish, since we'll be talking about the ending and some ideas to consider as move away from The Hobbit and into Anglo Saxon literature next week! 

For Tuesday: The Hobbit, Chapters 8-12 (approximately)

Keep reading as much as you can, and get close, if not all the way through Chapter 12 (especially since you have more time to read over the weekend than you will from Tuesday to Thursday next week). I'd like to try to finish it for Thursday's class, though we can continue to discuss it for weeks to come as we read Anglo Saxon literature! 

Here are some questions to consider for class...

* In Chapter Eight, after fighting the spiders, Bilbo says, “I will give you a name,” he said to it,” and I shall call you Sting” (142). Why do you think he names his sword, which clearly isn’t a legendary weapon like “Beater” or “Biter”? Why might this also illustrate the transformation going on in Bilbo by this point in the novel?

* Unlike most novels, Tolkein’s narrator is almost a character in the novel, full of coy hints about the world’s history, and riddling sense of humor. Where do we most see the narrator intrude on the story itself, and why do you think he does this? Why not just tell the story ‘straight’?

 * Writing about the Wood-elves, Tolkein remarks, “They dwelt most often by the edges of the woods, from which they could escape at times to hunt, or to ride and run over the open lands by moonlight or starlight; and after the coming of Men they took ever more and more to the gloaming and the dusk. Still elves they were and remain, and that is Good People” (152). What do the elves seem to represent for Tolkein, since they are the greatest race in Middle Earth? Why, too, are they people of “the gloaming and the dusk”?

 * Why do the people of Lake Town (unlike the Master) give the dwarves such a warm welcome? What ‘world’ does the town seem to belong to—the ancient or the modern? Likewise, why does the Master reject them and assume they’re all frauds?

 

For Thursday: The Hobbit, Chapters 5-7

As before, here are some questions to consider for Thursday's class--but keep your eyes open for any of the themes we discussed in Tuesday's class as well! Anything is fair game! 

* In Beowulf, a work which Tolkein not only translated but was highly influenced by, the phrase “wyrd” is often used, which translates to fate or chance.  In one significant passage, Beowulf claims, “Wyrd saves oft/the man undoomed if he undaunted be.”  How does fate (or luck?) seem to function similarly in The Hobbit?  Is this a book where Bilbo is guided by a higher power…or does he make his own luck? How might Tolkien want us to read this?

* The Hobbit is full of poetry and song, from the dwarfs’ songs to the goblins’ ferocious chants to Gollum and Bilbo’s riddles. Why does the narrator (who has a distinct personality) include these unnecessary embellishments in the story? After all, we don’t really need them to understand the plot, and many people just skim over them entirely. Why might he want us to hear the poetry and puzzle over the riddles ourselves? 

* Tolkein purposely went back and revised The Hobbit to bring it in line with his evolving mythology and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Though we can read The Hobbit as a stand-alone work, where do we see foreshadowings and links to the later works in this one? How, for example, do we know the ring isn’t just a magic trinket but a true “ring of power”? 

* How does Bilbo live up to his name and pedigree in these chapters and become, in a small way, a hero of legend? What causes him to do this? Is it an accident, like the way Gandalf tricked him into undertaking the Quest, or is it a conscious decision of Bilbo’s? Discuss a scene where you see him renounce his identity as a "burgher" and become a "burglar."  

For Tuesday: Read The Hobbit, Chapters 1-4

Remember, you DO NOT have to answer these questions for class. Instead, the questions below are ideas to think about as you read, and I'll use ONE of them for your in-class writing at the beginning of class. But think about all of them as you read, since they might help you see or consider other ideas as you read. Good luck and happy adventuring!  

IDEAS TO CONSIDER: 

* When it first came out, The Hobbit was considered a children’s story for two reasons: the characters/situations and the style. While most critics no longer agree  that fantasy alone makes a story ‘juvenile,’ they are less certain about the style. Do you feel that the story is written more for children than adults? What about the style might make people read it this way? Is it the only way to read/interpret it?

* In Chapter One, “An Unexpected Party,” Bilbo asks the dwarfs, “I should like to know about risks, out-of-pocket expenses, time required and remuneration, and so forth” (21). Why might this sound distinctly out-of-place in a story set in a mythical past? And in general, why does Tolkien often mix the world of the 20th century (pipes, post offices, etc.) with a world of swords and dragons? What effect does this have on the story and the reader?

* Though The Hobbit opens with a simple domestic scene (“in a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit”), where does Tolkein hint that a great mythology lies behind the prosaic world of the Shire?  Why do you think he felt it necessary to let glimpses of this ancient world shine through?  How does it affect how we read and understand the work as a whole?

* In Chapter II, “Roast Mutton,” the dwarfs reflect on Gandalf: “So far he had come all the way with them, never saying if he was in the adventure or merely keeping them company for a while.  He had eaten most, talked most, and laughed most.  But now he simply was not there at all!” (30).  What kind of character/wizard is Gandalf, and how does he compare to the idea of a ‘wizard’ in popular culture?

Welcome to the Course!

Welcome to English 4643, "The Worlds of J.R.R Tolkien"! In this class, we will explore the two facets of J.R.R. Tolkien’s writing--his creative work and his translations of older English poetry (as well as some works he never got around to translating). As a scholar, Tolkien knew that literature is like an archeological expedition full of broken shards, faded scrolls, and helmets that almost look battle-worthy. However, the gaps need to be filled by acts of scholarship and storytelling so we can see who these people were and what their dreams were made of. Tolkien’s stories and translations do exactly that—make old worlds come back to life in colorful modern (if often archaic) language, so that their stories can become our stories. While some might dismiss Tolkien as a ‘dead white male’ peddling outdated legends, the truth is much more complex, and explains why his books and characters are nearing the 100-year mark. Will they last as long as Shakespeare? Only time will tell!

Be sure to buy the books for the class, which are listed below. For Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, I ordered the Tolkien translations of each, though you can buy another version. However, it might be interesting to see how he translated them and incorporated them into his unique world view--since these works color and influenced his creative endeavors. I do encourage you to buy the book The Word Exchange, however, since some of these poems are hard to find elsewhere. 

Required Texts:

• Tolkien, The Hobbit & The Fellowship of the Ring
• Tolkien, Translations of Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
• The Word Exchange: Anglo-Saxon Poems in Translation, ed. Greg Delanty and Michael Matto

See you in class!