Abstract
JRR Tolkien has sold millions of copies of his "Lord of the Rings trilogy". It is certainly the most popular fantasy novel of all time and quite possibly one of the best received novels in the last hundred years. The paper examines the question why a series of books so far removed from what most people would consider "real life" would have such a phenomenal following. Is it, as critics have suggested, a mere penchant for escapism? The paper argues that "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy is so successful because it is a true story and humans naturally gravitate towards truth. Of course, it is a fictional tale and a highly imaginative one at that. But fiction does not mean falsehood. The paper shows that the story is true, not to external but to internal realities and by truthfully recording the internal story of the way in which the universe and human consciousness function, it transcends mere nonfiction.

From the Paper
"The psychological and spiritual archetypes in these novels are both plentiful and important. Of course there are the obvious ones. The format of the trilogy as the narrative of a grand journey, setting out from one place and eventually returning to it, buys into archetypes regarding voyages. Life as a journey is a commonly repeated metaphor, but nonetheless valid. The archetypical evil versus the archetypical good is also obvious. Everything which one expects to be associated with evil is associated with evil, and the same is true of the good. There are no surprises here because there could be no surprises while maintaining archtypal consistency. If one is to believe reports of a sort of collective unconsciousness, then many of these images are drawn directly from its source. The symbols generally used by Tolkien are not unlike symbols used in dream interpretation, and in many ways they carry the same meanings. Take, for example, the way in which elves leave Middle Earth by passing over the sea. In archetypical terms, such bodies of water can represent both death and sexuality, suggesting a relationship between departure from this realm and death/reincarnation. Various other archetypes also persist."

Tags:Gollum, Smeagol, Gondor, Gandalf

From the Paper
"This study will provide an analysis of the romantic elements in the medieval epic poem Beowulf and J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. The study will demonstrate that the romantic and heroic aspects of these two works contain both similarities and differences.


Both books are full of the sense of adventure and risk-taking which mark romantic literature. However, one great difference exists between the works with respect to the relationship of the romantic hero to his adventures, risk-taking, and romantic pursuits in the name of good against evil.


Bilbo Baggins, the eventual hero of Tolkien's book, is far from the eager hero that we see in the character of Beowulf. The hero Beowulf, in comparison to Bilbo, is a one-dimensional character with little complexity. The author of Beowulf presents..."

Abstract
This work outlines a research presentation on the ideas of Middle-Earth and the writings of "The Lord of the Rings." It looks at new ideas from the Letters of JRR Tolkien, and then addresses how they relate to two stories from Middle-Earth, and then the actual "The Lord of the Rings." The paper concludes that the letters give new insights into the other readings.

From the Paper
"The title of the presentation is "The First Age Ends." B. The sources being summarized in this section are: Selections from The Letters of JRR Tolkien, Letter 131 and Letter 144. Step 2. A. Point 1: One significant point, as illustrated in Letter 131 from The Letters of JRR Tolkien, is that a new motif is conveyed through the tale of Beren and Luthien. In this tale, it is seen that changes, or as Tolkien states, the "policies of world history, `the wheels of the world,'"(Letter 131), are changed not by the powerful, yet instead through the "seemingly unknowable and weak" (Letter 131). It is crucial that Beren is able to succeed.."

Tags:tolkien, middle, earth, lord

Abstract
This paper focuses on a central character in JRR Tolkien's "The Hobbit" -Thorin Oakenshield who is the leader of a band of exiled Dwarfs. The author explains how Thorin is portrayed and the traits that drive him.
The paper also puts forward the arguments to explain or excuse the actions and intentions of Thorin Oakenshield in his dealings with other characters.

From the Paper
"Thorin Oakenshield is one of the central characters of JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit, the leader of a band of exiled Dwarves seeking to reclaim their dragon-stolen homeland, and the rightful king of a once-prosperous realm. Throughout the story he is portrayed as a proud, stubborn, willful Dwarf who is driven by strong desires. These traits and drives often put him into conflict with other characters in the story and it is easy for the reader to view Thorin in a harsh, unflattering light- especially when Thorin is drawn into opposition of characters like Bilbo Baggins and the wizard Gandalf. Near the end of The Hobbit he becomes King Under the Mountain, reclaiming his lost birthright. While in this capacity he is forced to make decisions which place the Dwarves against not only their neighbors but also against one member of their own party. These actions, however, are not taken purely out of greed and they are not evil actions; they are the decisions of a proud King thrust into a difficult position. King Thorin Oakenshield is a noble Dwarf of royal lineage who sought to reclaim the Lonely Mountain for the good of all his people, who sought not to cheat others but whose pride sometimes drove him to rashness."

Tags:Wood-Elf, King, story, imprisoned, gem

Abstract
This paper discusses war in science fiction especially the science of technology.

Abstract
This paper explains that, although J.R.R. Tolkien's article, "The Monsters and the Critics", is credited with starting the modern criticism of "Beowulf" through its defense of the work as a unified piece of poetry, there are points that can be argued in other directions. The paper then relates that, with his analysis, Tolkien managed to change how Beowulf was read by moving the monsters to the forefront of the poem, but he also portrays them in a very limited light. The paper elaborates on this contention by discussing the most startling absence in Tolkien's analysis of Beowulf's monsters, that of Grendel's mother.

From the Paper
"Tolkien breaks Beowulf into only two spheres of monstrosity: the first encompassing lines 1 to 2199 and regarding Grendel while the second ranges from line 2200 to the end of the poem and concerns the dragon. Tolkien states that both monsters "are creatures, feond mancynnes, of a similar order and kindred significance." While Grendel is indeed described as mankind's enemy as well as being noted as a descendant of Cain's race, alive during the age of the giants, and most importantly a wonsaeli wer ("miserable man" ), the dragon is great but is also a living creature that is not necessarily on the same biblical scale of evil."

Tags:poem, dragon, grendel, cain, symbolism

Abstract
This paper examines how there are many resemblances between the works of Tolkien and that of ancient works of literature. It looks at how "The Lord of the Rings" saga shares its origins of heroic myth in the classic literature that Tolkien admired, studied and taught. It discusses how the "Beowulf" saga is probably the most recognized today of those studied by Tolkien. Iceland's Poetic Edda and Old Norse Mythology are also reviewed.

From the Paper
"Tolkien himself acknowledged The Kalevala as an influence for some of his ideas. The Kalevala is an epic poem, which Elias Lonnrot in the 19th century said that he had compiled from Finnish folk sources. It is commonly called The Finnish National Epic and is one of the most significant works of Finnish-language literature. The Kalevala is a Finnish epic put together in the 19th century from traditional stories and myths that had been handed down through families. It tells of a hero, Vainamoinin, and his adventures. Magic and magical beings, good and evil, and treasure to be sought (the Sampo) that would provide for all men, are recorded in this great epic poem. "

Tags:Elves, Beowulf, Lord, of, the, Rings, Hobbit, mythology, Anglo-Saxon

Abstract
This paper is concerned with examining the sources of "The Lord of the Rings", and, particularly, with the influence of the turbulent times during which it was written. The paper also explores how Tolkien's vast knowledge of Northern European literature and mythologies influenced his writing.

A New Mythology
Pastoral Conservatism
Light Against Dark: War and Politics
Nazism, Aryanism, Communism and Tolkien's Ideology

From the Paper
"Unlike some other writers of fantasy, Tolkien was not backward in discussing the origins and nature of the world he had created. He made many comments, in letters, in published commentaries on The Lord of the Rings, and in observations to many of his friends, family and colleagues. Among these statements is the clear declaration that his ambition was to provide, through his stories of Middle Earth, nothing less than a new mythology for England."

Tags:trilogy, history, imagined, world, spanish, civil, war, europe, totalitarianism, fascism

Abstract
This paper examines the special visual effects of the movie based on J.R.R. Tolkien's famous novel. It also compares it to the first movie in the series and claims that this movie was weaker than the predecessor. The writer also examines the characters in the movie and what they are meant to represent.

From the Paper
"The visual effects in all were perhaps most important to this film in that they invoked a total fantasy setting. The frequent panoramic shots of vividly fantastic landscapes served to pull the viewer into the world and define the reality of movie. A large part of the conflict in this films seems to be between the rightfulness of nature (as exemplified by the Hobbits) and the wrongfulness of technology and pollution (as exemplified by Mordor and the Orcs). But this isn't gotten across in the story-line itself, so one relies on the views of the respective armies and environments to get that idea across. For example, a minor visual attention to detail can be seen if one looks closely at the faces of the orcs. (Many pictures are available in galleries online if the movie moves too quickly to catch this) Many orcs have metal rivets and metal parts in their skin and scalps, subtly pointing out that they represent all the technological perversion of nature."

Tags:jrr, tolkien, orc, mordor

Abstract
This paper discusses the role of Sam Gamgee as Frodo Baggins's companion in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, specifically the books, "The Two Towers", and "The Return of the King". The author discusses the two main characters and their relationship.

From the Paper
"John Ronald Reuel (J.R.R.) Toliken was a distinguished scholar of Anglo-Saxon literature, in particular of the epic poem Beowulf (Modern Critical Views 1). Being merely a diligent student, however, did not make him famous. Rather, his own greatest works, "The Hobbit," and the trilogy, "The Lord of the Rings," brought him his greatest fame. The trilogy continues where "The Hobbit" leaves off, with Bilbo Baggins passing the story on to his younger cousin, Frodo."

Tags:Lord, of, the, Rings, trilogy, baggins, bilbo, dark, fantasy, fellowship, frodo, gamgee, gandalf, hero, hobbits, jrr, lord, merry, pippin, protag, riders, ring, rings, ringwraiths, sam, saruman, sauron, tolkien