Annotated Bibliography Lord of the Rings

Rutledge, Fleming. The Battle for Middle-earth Tolkiens Divine Design in The Lordof the peal. bread Wm. B. Eerdmans. 2004.Fleming Rutledge transmits a deep dive into the religious undert bingles behind Tolkiens masterpiece. This was e extraly create verbally for Tolkien readers who look at The Lord of the make noises as pure fantasy, only unaw be of the religious dimensions of the story. The author accomplishes this by taking a agree analysis of the regularts as they unf ageing in the set aside. With scholarly expertise, Rutledge shows the theological themes that rebuff every action in the story, thus proving the profound presence of morality in the sub-narrative.In his introduction, Rutledge writes the followingNonetheless, because I have come to the die entirely without expectations, I am presumptuous enough to believe that my delayed, uninformed wager with the Ring saga combined with my knowledge of Scripture, theology, and the Church had afforded an opportune gl ance into Tolkiens deepest intimations. (2)In another chapter, Rutledge writes about Bilbos behavior,If there were either doubts about the lasting effects of the bounce even on the most innocuous individuals, the next sequence dispels it. In the great Hall of waken after dinner, Frodo is reunited with Bilbo. Of course Frodo is overjoyed to see his beloved relative, mentor and supporter once more it has been the greatest desire of his heart. But when the subject of the ring comes up between them, an appalling throw creeps over Bilbo. He asks, in a kind of too sniveling a polish office if he quarter see the Ring once more The change in Bilbo is revolting The implication is clear. wiz more close encounter with the Ring and dear, cuddly, beloved Bilbo lead be on his way to neat another Gollum.2.West, John Garret, et al. Celebrating Middle-Earth The Lord of the go As a apology of double-uward Civilization. Inkling Books. 2002This volume is a collaboration among six writers who severally explores the place of The Lord of the sound in the modern Western world. all(prenominal) of the authors presentIn John Wests preface, he says,Tolkien was both a devout Christian and a dedicated scholar of the Western intellectual and literary traditions, and his love for Christianity and the West stand at the means of this narrative. Far from being simple escapism or blind nostalgia, Tolkiens saga actually confronts many of the idols of modernism and post-modernism. (10)another(prenominal) writer, Kerry Dearborn primary(prenominal)tains,Tolkiens faith was deep important to him, and it is something woven into the fabric of his stories, but something which must be deduced or worked outAlthough Tolkien reflects vivid belief in and experience of the worlds depravity, his faith correlates more closely to Christian traditions that would affirm a trace of the divine in creation and the imago dei (the image of God) in humanity rather than total depravity. (95-96)Towar ds the end of the record book, West writes,We are free to a point. We are free to accept our calling or reject it. The most stimulate thing about The Lord of the Rings, for me, is its heroes monumental struggle to fulfill the complaint that fate had ordained for them Nothing could make them abandon their mission Whereas the obedient characters all submit to authority outside of them, the bad ones recognize no authority higher than their individual will.3.Bassham, Gregory and Bronson, Eric. The Lord of the Rings and Philosophy OneBook to Rule Them All. Open Court Publishing. 2003.The author of this book is chairwoman of the philosophy department at Kings College. This book pick ups a philosophical suppose on the lessons on life and living that the Lord of the Rings presents. Particularly, the authors excerpt lessons about morality and ethics, the power of choice, and the corruptive temper of power.Bassham writes the following,Gollum is the more intrigue character He represe nts the levelheaded gone bad, something which is always intriguing for those who are struggling to stay with the first. Sam represents the cracking that stays good even under temptation. Both Gollum and Sam want the same thing to be happy. Both work hard at it. But only one of them succeeds Sam reaches his goal and Gollum ends in disaster. Why? This is the momentous philosophical question, because it concerns the nature of the good life, the life of felicity. We need to answer it because in answering we can perhaps also learn something important about how to achieve happiness for ourselves.In the book, the authors make the following points,So St. Augustine and Tolkien agree that nothing is all and utterly condemnable, because much(prenominal) a thing could not even comprise because existence itself is good. (103)In another chapter, the authors further,In an epic tale of good and evil such(prenominal) as The Lord of the Rings, it is a virtual need that the characters represen ting good and evil can be identified as such by the reader. One way for them to be identified is through their actions. Another is though the character traits from which those actions proceed.There whitethorn be different literary reasons for preferring one approach to the other, but when the characters are given personalities that exhibit virtues or vices, the moral lesson is clearer. The lesson is clearer because right actions may be performed for wrong reasons, or, alternatively, wrongful acts may be performed for the right reasons. So just looking at what state do may be less morally instructive than considering who they are. (110)4.Lobdell, Jared et al. A Tolkien Compass. Open Court Publishing. 2003.This book is essentially a compilation of reflections to the places and characters in Middle-Earth. This book is intended to use Middle Earth as a guide to our own lifes journeys. This volume traces the journeys of some of the main characters in Tolkiens story, their inner struggl e and transformations, and cull lessons that we an use as we face lifes many uncertainties.Walter Schepes writes in his essay,It is important to notice that most of the distinctions between good and evil in The Lord of the Rings are generic distinctions, and the forces of evil are often immediately recognisable as such from their place of origin, their color, or their manner of speech. (44)The author furthers,These major characters seem to fall into groups of collar. First, there are terzetto already only corrupted by the desire for power Sauron, the Ringwraiths, and Gollum. Second, there are the three who belong to an earlier era and have removed themselves from the world to such a degree that the power of the Ring means nothing to them Shelob, Fangorn, and turkey cock Bombadil.Third, there are three, The Great, who would have the strength to wield the power of the Ring if they did obtain it Saruman, Gandalf, and Galadriel. Fourth, there are the three men of Gondor to who m the Ring offers special temptation in their threatened land Boromir, Denethor, and Faramir. And fifth, there are the three who for differing reasons obtain heroic stature in the story Frodo, Sam, and Aragorn. (57)5.Curry, Patrick. Defending Middle-Earth Tolkien, figment and Modernity. MarinerBooks. 2004Curry focuses on the different social and political systems that existed in Middle Earth and how these various structure worked together to ward off an evil that threatens all of them. The author maintains that Tolkiens masterpiece is a sacred work meant to enlighten those who read it with an open heart. This book also analyzes the emblematical battle of nature against a highly mechanical, modern world and how Tolkien presents us with a cautionary tale about the abuses of technology.The following is an excerpt from the bookHowever, although Tolkien drew on the tiny corner of the world that is the West Midlands of England, readers from close everywhere else in the world connect the hobbits with a rustic raft of their own, relatively untouched by modernity if not still actually existing, then from the alternative reality of folk and fairy tale.6.Chance, Jane. Tolkien the Medievalist. Routledge. 2003This book puts Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings in the context of the Medieval Period. The book provides an in-depth analysis of the parts of Tolkiens stories and relates them to the literary characteristics that were in effect during the Middle Ages. This book will be useful in studying how the elements of Catholic beliefs of good and evil influence Tolkiens famed The Lord of the Rings trilogy.However, aside from the resemblance with the literature of the Middle Ages, this volume offers an pursuanceing perspective on how the trilogy came to be and to what extent did the existing circumstances, particularly the looming world war, affected Tolkiens protect system and how he wrote the book.A relevant quote from the book goes homogeneous this,In September of t hat year John Ronald Tolkien, then a 22-year old student at Oxford awaiting military call-up, wrote a fairy tale rime titled The Voyage of Earendel, about a celestial mariner who sails west to seek peace for Middle Earth. It was the beginning of his invented mythology. (26)7.Isaacs, Neil David et al. Understanding The Lord Of The Rings The Best Of TolkienCriticism edited by Neil David Isaacs. Houghton Mifflin Books. 2005This volume compiled and edited by Isaacs is the definitive collection of literary criticisms on The Lord of the Rings. The books compile essays from the time The Lord of the Rings was first published up until the renewed interest in Tolkien after the release of the Peter Jacksons film. This book is valuable because it presents a variety of perspectives and arguments without diluting the beauty of Tolkiens masterpiece.In Edmund choke-fulls essay, he makes a point about the theme of good and evil in The Lord of the Rings,As to the inherent meaning, we are confronted basically by a raw struggle between good and evil. This struggle offers a challenge and demands decisions of several kinds. The power of evil is formidable and ruthless. The initial decision, in which many of the characters participate, is whether or not to attempt to resist at allSo great and discouraging are the odds involved in resistance that the possibility of surrender, terrible than the fight unless the deciding element is the moral choice of rejecting evil regardless of consequence. (19)8.Porter, Lynette. Unsung Heroes of The Lord Of The Rings From The Page To TheScreen. Praeger/Greenwood. 2005Porters book presents a fresh take on resolution as defined by the minor characters on the book. Most criticisms on The Lord of the Rings are about the key characters, often overlooking the fact that the ones in the background have struggles and heroism in their own lives as well.Here is Porters take on Pippin,Pippins value as a hero cannot authentically be measured using the ty pical definitions of a literary hero. The splendour of his character lies not in his ability to serve as a classic literary hero preordained for greatness, but in his ability to track his fear and self-doubt to grow up and into a heroic juvenile adult. Pippin is truly the everyperson hero who, at least early in his life, energy be voted least likely to do anything worthwhile for others, but who matures into a leader capable of heroic action in crises. (59)