Required Materials
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit (recent Ballantine Books paperback edition)
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings (recent Ballantine Books paperback edition)
Copy handout packet

Course Description
A close discussion of The Lord of the Rings and its impact on culture in the 20th century and today.  Though the course will touch on the work's medieval influences (Tolkien himself was a Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford), we will focus on contextualizing Middle-earth in Tolkien's time and ours.  Is the backdrop of European conflict in the 30's and 40's (the time in which the work was written) reflected in the work itself?  Why did the work suddenly rise to fantastic popularity in this country in the 60s?  Why is a fantasy of ancient times so popular today?  What is the message and meaning of The Lord of the Rings?  How does the work help us to understand and interpret contemporary phenomena in our own culture?  Why and how does the work speak to people today?

To investigate the role of The Lord of the Rings in contemporary culture we will examine, in addition to the 3-volume text, additional materials by Tolkien, such as The Hobbit and other writings, and criticism of the works by others and alternative version of the work, such as the BBC radio presentation, the late 70s TV version, the animated film version, and, especially, the latest film version directed by Peter Jackson.  Specific issues we might touch on include: the relationship between literature and society, the nature of allegory and heroism, fantasy literature in general, fantasy for children versus fantasy for adults, the counterculture, environmentalism, the struggle against fascism, multiculturalism, gender and race relations, utopias and distopias, the quest narrative, the original versus later versions, post 9/11 America, and others.

Though non-majors are welcome, this is an upper-division, "special topics" English course, intended for upper-level English majors and will include a major research project in addition to other writing requirements.

Course Requirements
Research Essay  19%
Response papers
       Literary Response One (8%)
       Literary Response Two (8%)
       Literary Response Three (8%)

       Summary Response One (5%)
       Summary Response Two (5%)
       Summary Response Three (5%)
Presentation 10%
Quizzes 5%
Final 17%
Participation 10%

Research Essay 16%
You will have the opportunity to write a literary analysis (which includes a demonstration of research) (5-7 pages) on the literature we will cover.

Literature Response Papers 24%
There are three Literature Response Papers, one due about every fourth week. Every three weeks you will receive a response question handout with questions taken from the upcoming reading assignments. You are to respond to any one day’s questions from the list. Response questions must be typed, double-spaced and turned in on the day that you have selected. For example, answers to questions from October 9th's reading must be turned in on that day. Papers are due in class on the assigned date. Late papers will be subject to a reduction in grade. If you feel you have a good reason for requiring an extension, please come talk to me about it beforehand. However, after-due date extensions, except in the case of emergencies, will be difficult to obtain.

Summary Response Papers 15%
There are also three summary response papers, one due about every fourth week. Every three weeks you will receive a response question handout with questions taken from the upcoming reading assignments. You are to respond to any one day’s questions from the list. Response questions must be typed, double-spaced and turned in on the day that you have selected. For example, answers to questions from October 9th's reading must be turned in on that day. Papers are due in class on the assigned date.Late papers will be subject to a reduction in grade. If you feel you have a good reason for requiring an extension, please come talk to me about it beforehand. However, after-due date extensions, except in the case of emergencies, will be difficult to obtain.

Presentation
At some point early in the semester I will divide the class up into four groups.  Each group will then be given the task of putting together an oral presentation, due at several-week intervals throughout the semester.  Each presentation will be devoted on a specific topic.  (See the Calendar for specific topics)  Each presentation should be at least 10 minutes (and last no more than 15 minutes) and must include at least one handout to be given to the class as a whole.  Beyond the handout, the materials and format of the presentations are only limited by the group's imagination and may include use of a variety of media.

Exams
In addition to a cumulative final exam, there will be three short surprise quizzes given throughout the semester.  These are intended merely to give friendly encouragement to keep up with the assigned reading in class.

Participation
Regular attendance of classes is absolutely expected for this course. Two or more unexcused absences will lower your participation grade significantly.

Avoid plagiarism (stealing the exact words or ideas of another) like the plague. In this class acts of plagiarism incur a zero and could also result in course failure.

Disclaimer:  I reserve the right to change the syllabus and assigned readings (with plenty of advanced warning)

Calendar
Week 1
September 4: Introduction

 Week 2
September 11: The Hobbit;  Lois R Kuznets, "Tolkien and the Rhetoric of Childhood"

Week 3
September 18: The Hobbit; The Fellowship of the Ring;  J.R.R. Tolkien, "On Fairy-Stories"

Week 4
September 25: Oral Presentation: Biographical background on J.R.R. Tolkien
The Fellowship of the Ring (read up to Book II); Edmund Wilson,  "Oo, Those Awful Orcs"

Week 5
October 2: The Fellowship of the Ring (read to end), Beowulf (excerpts)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Week 6
October 9: The Two Towers (Read up to Book IV); Agnes Perkins and Helen Hill, "The Corruption of Power"

Week 7
October 16: The Two Towers (read to end); Verlyn Flieger, "Taking the Part of the Trees:  Eco-Conflict in Middle-Earth"

Week 8
October 23: Reading Day, no class

Week 9
October 30: Oral Presentation: Publishing History of The Lord of the Rings
 The Two Towers;  Barton Friedman, "Tolkien and David Jones:  The Great War and the War of the Ring";  Wilfred Owen, "Apologia Pro Poemate Meo"; The Return of the King (read up to Book VI); Virginia Luling, "An Anthropologist in Middle-Earth"

Week 10
November 6: Oral Presentation:  Other versions of Middle-Earth (Television, plays, radio, musicals, early film versions, etc.)
The Return of the King (read to end); Roger Kaufman, "Lord of the Rings Taps a Gay Archetype"; TBA
Student Response:  Same-Sex Relationships in The Lord of the Rings
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Week 11
November 13:  The Return of the King; Jan Struther, Mrs Miniver, (excerpts); Robert Plank, "'The Scouring of the Shire': Tolkien's View of Fascism"

Week 12 Conference week, meet with me in Webb Hall 234
November 20: Oral Presentation:  History and background of the filming of  Jackson's The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings (films I and II)
Research day, Class held in Library Rm 263

Week 13
November 26: Happy Holiday

Week 14
December 4:  Oral Presentation: Teaching The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings (films I and II); Peter Kreeft "Wartime Wisdom:  Ten Uncommon Insights About Evil in The Lord of the Rings";  Karen Durbin, "Triumph of the Hobbit?  Propaganda and Lord of the Rings"

Week 15
December 11: TBA, Research Essay Due

Final Exam Week
Final exam:
Thursday, December 18th, 7-9:45

Some Useful Links

Research Guides
A Bibliography on The Lord of the Rings

 The One Ring webpage
 National Geographic's Beyond the Movie website
 A Tolkien Biography
 The Tolkien Society

Illustration J.R.R. Tolkien, Map of Middle-Earth, traced and digitally rendered by Chris Taylor, 2001