TIS 2-430E J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and its Film Adaptation
This course will discuss The Lord of the Rings and its impact on culture in the 20th century and today. We will also examine, in addition to the 3-volume text – as an alternative version of the work – the film trilogy directed by Peter Jackson. The objective will be to compare the film adaptation to the novel in order to assess their cultural value. We will pose questions such as the following: Is the backdrop of European conflict in the 1930s and 1940s (the time in which the work was written) reflected in the work itself? Why did the work suddenly rise to fantastic popularity in America 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? By the end of the course students will have been acquainted with the following specific issues:
The relationship between literature and society
The nature of allegory and heroism
Epic fantasy literature in general
The counterculture, environmentalism, the struggle against fascism
Multiculturalism, gender and race relations
Utopias and dystopias
Quest narrative.
The novel The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien, Harper Collins Publishers will be distributed.
Assessment: A 2 ˝ hour final exam.
Course Outline
