World Literatures 275 - Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings: Sources, Tales, Transformations

This course delves deep into J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middleearth, focusing on The Lord of the Rings (1954-55) and its prelude, The Hobbit (1937). The course looks back to Tolkien’s inspiration from medieval literature and traditional lore, and forward to the manifold adaptations of his works in diverse media. At the center of the course are Tolkien’s texts, which the course considers as a nexus of venerable and modern literary traditions, a repository for cultural criticism, a laboratory for linguistic experimentation, an environment for philosophical exploration, and a paradigm for multi-media worldbuilding. Cannot be taken S/U. Enrollment limited to 40. (E)