Posted on 09/07/2002 12:54:11 PM PDT by Overtaxed
Title: The Lord of the Rings Course Type: Online Instructor-led Course Estimated Completion Time: 24 hour(s) Session Length: 4 week(s)
Take this course for FREE
Upcoming Sessions September 11, 2002 - OPEN
Prerequisites Have read or have a desire to read The Hobbit and the trilogy, The Lord of the Rings
Description This course provides an overview of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. We'll look first at Tolkien's biography, his writing life, the origins of the stories, and their publication history. We'll continue with lessons on each book, concentrating on Tolkien's construction of a mythological world and its peoples and languages, his characters and their development, and his thematic concerns. Finally, we'll look at Tolkien's lasting influence on 20th-century fantasy literature, as well as on cultural movements such as neo-paganism and environmentalism.
Objectives Read J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy and follow the adventures of Bilbo, Frodo, and their friends in a war against evil See how Tolkien's background as a professor of languages at Oxford influenced his construction of a complete mythology of Middle Earth Explore Tolkien's influence, not only on 20th-century fantasy literature, but also on the development of neo-pagan religions and environmental activism.
Course Materials The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings Boxed Set
Course Creator(s) Leslie Ellen Jones Leslie Ellen Jones earned a Ph.D. in Folklore and Mythology Studies at UCLA, and has taught at UCLA and Harvard. She is the author of Druid Shaman Priest: Metaphors of Celtic Paganism, and currently works in academic publishing.
Don't know, I've never done one of these B&N classes before. I just came across this and it looked interesting. I'd like to learn more about Tolkien and his background etc. I wouldn't mind "hearing" about his influence on other writers ....but I'm not hanging around for any enviromentalist/neo-pagan crap.
Except for certian caractures of over zelous evironmentalist.
I'm not going to listen to a bunch of people who go around telling me that animals and trees and fish take priority over me.
God made man to dominate the lesser creatures of the earth.
God created the earth and the seas, the trees and plants and animals for the benefit of man.
There isn't any! I think that "environmental paganism stuff was projected onto Tolkien by the hippie crowd.
Those hippie types are forever ruining a good thing with thier agendas.
That's the way I figure it. I can see how the whole Isengard thing can be hijacked by the Greens but I have no clue how they get the paganism part to fit.
Reading Materials Your Instructor has carefully selected materials for the course to enhance your learning experience.Materials You Will Need:
Your instructor has chosen these materials for in-depth use in this course and will refer to them in lessons and reading assignments. These materials are also used for class lessons, assignments and message board discussions. You should obtain these materials before your course session begins.
Title: The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings Boxed Set
Product Type: PaperbackSynopsis: More than the most widely read and influential fantasy story of all time, The Lord of the Rings is arguably the most memorable and endearing tale ever written. Originally published in 1954 and drawing upon primal traditions of myth and legend, it set the framework upon which all epic/quest fantasy since has been built.
MATERIALS FOR FURTHER EXPLORATION:
Your instructor also recommends these materials for further exploration of course topics.
Title: J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century
Product Type: PaperbackSynopsis: This thoughtful book examines The Lord of the Rings as a linguistic and cultural map, as a twisted web of story, and as a response to the meaning of myth. Tom Shippey presents a unique argument to explain the nature of evil and gives readers a compelling insight into the complicated interweaving of the many strands of the story.
Title: The History of the Lord of the Rings
Product Type: PaperbackSynopsis: Here is the story behind the creation of one of the most popular books of the 20th century, as told by J.R.R. Tolkien's son, whose unprecedented access to his father's estate allowed him to compile this four-volume set of rough drafts, unpublished passages, and other literary odds and ends that add greatly to a thorough understanding of the saga.
Title: J.R.R. Tolkien
Product Type: PaperbackSynopsis: To write this definitive biography, Humphrey Carpenter was given unrestricted access to all Tolkien's papers, and interviewed his friends and family. From these sources he follows the long and painful process of creation that produced The Lord Of The Rings and The Silmarillion and offers a wealth of information about the life and work of the twentieth century's most cherished author.
Title: The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
Product Type: PaperbackSynopsis: Over the years Tolkien wrote a mass of letters -- to his publishers, his family, to friends, and to fans of his books -- which record the history and composition of his works and his reaction to subsequent events. Now newly expanded with a detailed index, this collection provides an invaluable record that sheds new light on Tolkien's creative genius.
I would love to go to Ireland some day as I have some ancestry from there and understand it is quite a beautiful country.
Tolkien did go to Ireland several times and enjoyed the country and the people very much.
However I believe that LOTR is more consciously patterned on the Nordic sagas and mythologies than the Celtic. Some Celtic influence may have been unavoidable in the story since the Celts occupied England before the advent of the Anglo Saxons. It is for the Anglo Saxons, though, that Tolkien was creating a mythology, since he felt it had been repressed by the Normans after they defeated the Anglo Saxons in 1066. I got this from reading Tolkien's letters + a book on him by Shippey, the guy who has Tolkien's post at Oxford now, and who is a great admirer of him.
I haven't made it to the end of those messages yet. I did see your comment about the print, though. I changed my screen resolution on the laptop to 800 x 600.
I have to get busy on The Hobbit. It's been a while since I've read it.
So far, I don't like the comments as well as the ones we've had going in the Green Dragon. I'm not seeing much linkage with Christianity, they seem mostly to attribute it to having been orphaned and to his having fought in WWII.
But, it's new, need more time there, and maybe I just need to learn to navigate better.
What's your opinion OT? BTW, the lower resolution did it, thanks, but I don't like it for my other stuff.
That's the way it sounds to me too. But then, we've only done a little biographical background stuff. We haven't actually gotten into the stories yet. Or at least I haven't. I've only done the first lesson and haven't even finshed all the comments.
The comments are harder to navigate because you can't trace backwards like you can on FR.
I change my resolution when I go to the lessons and then change it back when I leave. You think they'd make it so you could customize the fonts!
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