For Tuesday: Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, Chapters 6-10

NOTE: Don't forget to check out Scissortail this week (it goes on all day Friday and most of the day Saturday, too!). Full schedule is here: https://ecuscissortail.blogspot.com/2022/01/2022-schedule-of-readings.html

For next week (Tuesday), be sure to read through Chapter 10 (or close to that). Here are some ideas to consider:

* How equipped are the hobbits for the dangers of the outer world? How do they respond to the dangers in the Old Forest?

* One of the most controversial figures in the LOTR trilogy is the strange creature of the forest, Tom Bombadil. What kind of figure is he? Is he somewhat like Beorn, from The Hobbit? Or is he more like the Green Knight? And why did the movies leave him completely out of the story? 

* Many critics find Tolkien's reliance on poetry in the LOTR trilogy and major weakness, particularly the kind that Tom Bombadil sings. How might this differ from the poetry we found in The Hobbit? 

* Related to the above, how do the songs/poetry of different characters contrast with one another: for example, Frodo's songs and Gandalf's poem (in the letter)? 

* Why doesn't Tom disappear when he puts on the Ring? And in general, why is he so unaffected by it? Does this seem to contradict Gandalf's explanation in the earlier chapters, or the fact that it is the One Ring, created by Sauron?

* Related to this, is Tom a kind of deus ex machina ("god in the machine"--meaning a god who swoops in and saves characters at the last minute) in the story? Is his presence and powers a little too convenient for the hobbits? 

* Why is the outer world with its evil trees and Barrow-wights so malicious? And why do none of these things seem to exist in the Shire?  

* We meet out first humans in Chapter 9, "At the Sign of the Prancing Pony." How do they contrast with the other most fantastic creatures of the previous chapters (elves, hobbits, etc.)? 

* How does Tolkien initially characterize Strider? What might the reader assume he is? When does this characterization begin to change? 

For Tuesday: Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, Chapters 3-5

Keep reading the book and get as much of Chapters 3-5 read for Tuesday, especially since we won't have class on Thursday (Scissortail CW Festival!). I strongly encourage everyone to go to at least one session of the festival, since is the LARGEST writing festival in the state, and many famous and award-winning writers come here each year, including 3 US Poet Laureates (and poet laureates of Texas, Oklahoma, and Missouri), and several people who have been nominated for Pushcart Prizes, Oklahoma Book Awards, and National Book Awards. The complete schedule of the festival is here: scissortail creative writing festival: 2022: Schedule of Readings (ecuscissortail.blogspot.com)

Here are some ideas to consider for your reading this week:

* Why is Tolkien so meticulous in charting the hobbits' journey through the Shire? Why does he make sure you can almost chart their past through the area as if it's a real place (and indeed, you CAN follow it on the map in the front of your book).

* How are the Elves characterized in Chapter Three? How do they contrast with the hobbits? Are they different from the Elves we briefly met in The Hobbit?

* What makes Frodo so hesitant to leave the Shire despite what Gandalf has told him about the Enemy and the Ring?

* What is unique about Tolkien's narrative style? How does this work contrast from other works of fantasy, or from other novels in general? Why might it ocassionally remind us of earlier works from class, such as Beowulf and Gawain?

* How do Peregrin "Pippin" Took, Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck, and Samwise Gamgee show us a different side/character of hobbits than what we've seen in Bilbo/Frodo? What makes them different? Consider that Samwise means "half wise," or "half wit," "Meriadoc" is a knight from King Arthur's court (and "Merry" means "jolly), and Peregrin means "pilgrim" or a "hunting falcon." 

* How does Tolkien characterize the Black Riders? How do we know they're not quite human without seeing them at all?

* What does Frodo learn from his encounter with the Elves, and specifically, from Gildor? Why might he not be ready to appreciate this Elf-Knowledge?

* Do songs have the same function in this book as in The Hobbit? Why are they used so frequently? 

* If you know the movies, how did the first film depart significantly from these three chapters? What did they alter or leave out (and why, do you think)? 

For Thursday: Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring: Prologue-Chapter Two

Be sure to get as far into Chapter Two as possible so we can discuss the beginning of the work on Thursday. Hopefully you'll find it a refreshing change from the Old/Middle English lit we've been reading, while also reminding you of many of the themes and characters of those works. Remember, too, that The Hobbit is in many ways a Prologue to this book, so you'll see many of the same characters here, and many ideas just hinted at there come to fruition in the LOTR trilogy (such as Gollum, the Ring, the Necromancer, etc.). 

Consider some of the following as you read...

* How does Tolkien in the Prologue try to extend the world of The Hobbit into this new world? How is he helping us read/examine the earlier work in a more mythical light? 

* Why do we get so much historical information about hobbits in the Prologue? Why didn't he mention any of this in the earlier book, where it might have been even more appropriate?

* Why might the hobbits be a very Anglo-Saxon race, meaning that their history echoes many ideas and themes we've seen in Anglo-Saxon poetry? 

* How does Tolkien suggest that The Hobbit is not the story, but a story of Bilbo's adventures? What might this suggest about the LOTR as a whole?

* How do the hobbits view Gandalf and much of the outside world? Related to this, why might it be important to begin Tolkien's story here, rather than in a more enchanted place among the elves, dwarves, etc.?

* What is Bilbo's intention at his 111th birthday party? Why does he invite all his relatives, close and distant, to view his disappearance? 

* What made Gandalf suspicious about Bilbo's behavior and activities? How might this be consistent with what we read in The Hobbit as well?

* How does Frodo contrast with Bilbo? Are they similar kinds of Hobbits? Is Frodo starting out where Bilbo began in the earlier book? 

Paper #2: The Realms of Fantasy: due March 31st!

English 4653: The Worlds of Tolkien

Paper #2: The Realms of Fantasy

“Fantasy is a natural human activity. It certainly does not destroy or even insult Reason…On the contrary. The keener and the clearer is the reason, the better fantasy it will make” (Tolkien, “On Fairy Stories”).

INTRO: So far in class, we’ve read three important works of fantasy literature: The Hobbit, Beowulf, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (though many of the Anglo-Saxon works also have elements of fantasy). Each one examines characters, ideas, and problems in our own world through the lens of fantasy, and helps us more keenly understand why humans fail both themselves and the people around them…and why some people, often the ones most overlooked, are still capable of heroic deeds and accomplishments. You could argue that the better the idea, the easier it translates into the realm of fantasy, and the more we can believe in its ‘fantastic’ existence.

PROMPT: For this paper, I want you to read a modern work of ‘fantasy’ through the lens of Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. In other words, I want you to consider why this movie, book, show, etc. uses fantasy to discuss ideas, characters, and problems that make more sense through the lens of the fantastic. Use Beowulf/Gawain to consider how fantasy works: the language, allegory, metaphors, heroes, quests, monsters, tests, etc. Your work doesn’t have to mirror either poem we read in class, but it should use some of the same ideas and constructions in telling its story. The trick is to examine a story you might have seen as merely entertaining as a complex work of literature that abstracts reality through the lens of fantasy.

NOTE: Be sure to give context for your modern work: make sure we understand the basics of the story, the characters, etc., and be sure to QUOTE from it in some meaningful way so we can compare it to Beowulf and/or Sir Gawain. You DO NOT have to use both poems in your discussion, but you MUST use one, and use that poem as a theory, meaning you use ideas and passages from the poem to highlight ideas and passages in the modern work.

REQUIREMENTS:

• No page limit—up to you
• Choose a modern work to examine, at least from the past 20-30 years, if possible. Any movie, book, show, etc., will do
• Be sure to QUOTE and avoid too much summary and generalizations
• Give CONTEXT for both works, so we know what the story is about and what passages/ideas you’re using
• DUE THURSDAY, MARCH 31^st [no class that day: go to the Scissortail Creative Writing Festival instead!]

NOTE: You can interpret "fantasy" quite liberally, and in many cases, science fiction movies work just as well, since fantasy and science fiction are two sides of the same coin. Star Wars, for example, is really "space fantasy," since it's really a story about magic and adventure, just in a futuristic setting. So shows like "The Mandalorian" would work perfectly. Also superhero movies like Batman, Spiderman, The Avengers, The Eternals, etc. are fantasy in the same sense as these poems. And the list goes on... 

For Tuesday: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Parts III & IV

A few ideas to consider as you read Parts III and IV: 

* How are the various episodes of the hunt allegorical for what's going on in the house? Is Gawain being hunted? Is he the fox? Is he also 'slain'?

* Be on the lookout for "loops," "knots," and "cunning arts" in the poem...

* Gawain has a reputation as a great lover (meaning chivalric lover--more on that Tuesday), and the Lady means to test him, to see if he can really live up to his reputation. If he refuses the Lady, he would not only dishonor her but himself. And yet, he promised to give the Lord whatever he received in kind. Does he seem to follow the laws of chivalry and honor? 

* Related to the above, how does the Lady test him? What complaints does she have against Gawain? 

* What gift does he accept from the Lady that he doesn't give back to the Lord? Why is this? Is it a dishonorable 'lie'? Or a sensible one? 

* Why does the poem suddenly introduce Morgan le Fay in the poem? Was she behind this all along? Or is this a sleight of hand on the author's part, to make us not notice what's really going on in the poem?

* Does Gawain fail in his final test with the Green Knight? Is the flinching a sign of cowardice or dishonor? How does the Green Knight judge him?

* What do you make of Gawain's long rant against women? Is this another poem that seeks to throw women under the bus for the sins of men? Is the Lord's wife merely another Guenevere? Would he have passed the test without her interference? Do you think the poet is speaking through Gawain's lips...or is he condemning him? 

* Why do Arthurt and all the knights decide to adopt the girdle themselves? Is this a way to erase his dishonor? Is it satirical? 

For Thursday: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Parts I-II (pp.23-66)

* Why do you think the poem begins with a brief historical narrative connecting Britain to ancient Rome? Specifically, it claims that Aeneas, who escaped the Trojan War and founded Rome, one of his men, Brutus, extended the empire north. Why begin the poem like this? What is the poet trying to accomplish? 

* How is the court of Camelot described/characterized by the poet? What kind of place is it? How might it compare to Hrothgar's hall in Beowulf? Is the Green Knight sent there as a punishment for their 'sins'? Or a test? Can we tell? 

* Each stanza ends in a "bob and wheel," which is a poetic device that begins with a two-syllable "bob," and then features four lines (in different rhythms) that function as a kind of refrain or poetic echo of the stanza. What is the effect of using this at the end of every single stanza? How does this change the poem from a more narrative work like Beowulf that doesn't call attention to itself as poetry? 

* Look closely at Stanzas 7-10: why does the poet spend so much time—almost two entire pages—just describing him? What might he want us to see/understand about his appearance in the hall? What kind of 'man' is he? Is he like Grendel, a monster "in the shape of a man," or a man who merely resembles a monster? 

* According to the poem, why does the Green Knight come to challenge Arthur and his court? By barging in like this (and on a horse, no less), he’s breaking the laws of chivalry and being quite disrespectful. What would make him act so flagrantly toward the greatest king in the land?

* Unlike Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is very conscious of nature: we always know what season it is, and the poem indulges in poetic descriptions of Gawain's travels. Why is this? What effect does this have on the poem, that it has a "place" rather than just a "setting"?