J.R. R. Tolkien, Ecology, and Education

J.R. R. Tolkien, Ecology, and Education PDF Author: Thad Burkhart
Publisher:
ISBN: 9783659877063
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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J.R. R. Tolkien, Ecology, and Education

J.R. R. Tolkien, Ecology, and Education PDF Author: Thad Burkhart
Publisher:
ISBN: 9783659877063
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description


J.R.R. Tolkien, Ecology, and Education

J.R.R. Tolkien, Ecology, and Education PDF Author: Thad A. Burkhart
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Ecocriticism
Languages : en
Pages : 205

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"John Ronald Reul Tolkien (1892-1973) was an Oxford trained philologist, professor (don) at Oxford, noted scholar, and author of high fantasy literature. His The Lord of the Rings trilogy (TLOR) has sold over 150 million copies worldwide making it the second bestselling work of fiction of all time ("The Lord of the Rings," 2014). His popularity has resurged, though it never really waned, with Peter Jackson's big screen adaptation of Tolkien's most famous work The Lord of the Rings (2001-2003), also in trilogy form, winning multiple Oscar Awards, and grossing over 3 billion dollars worldwide ("The Lord of the Rings," 2014). More recently, Jackson's three part installments of the precursor to TLOR, The Hobbit (2012-2014), have also proved highly successful in movie format. As has been long noticed by fans and critics alike, Tolkien's works, TLOR, The Hobbit, The Silmarillion (his legendarium of Middle-earth or Arda), and other lesser known works like The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (TATB) are permeated with ecological themes and tropes. According to Morgan (2010), Tolkien's ecology is "[grounded in a] creation-centered ethic of stewardship ... that holds the potential to re-enchant the world" (p. 383). Further, Morgan (2010) also says, that "The story ... possesses significant pedagogical potential, albeit implicit in nature" (p. 383-384). Obviously, at least to many, the Earth is in a state of ecological crisis. My dissertation investigates ecology through select high fantasy works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Specifically, I intend to address what can be construed by studying the enigmatic character of Tom Bombadil, while giving due consideration to other characters who represent or are a party to ecological concerns. This dissertation will prove that the study of Bombadil is a boon to ecological education in the forms of autodidacticism, ecopedagogy, and ecoliteracy by showing readers how the Earth should be treated and with regard to changing our current anthropocentric mindset to one that embraces a respect and reverence for nature; that is, biophilia."--Abstract from author supplied metadata.

The Ecological Thought in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings

The Ecological Thought in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings PDF Author: Taleen Altebarmakian (Graduate student)
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Middle Earth (Imaginary place)
Languages : en
Pages : 83

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Abstract: In recent years, J.R.R. Tolkien’s works and his world of Middle-earth have regularly been studied through an ecocritical lens. In this context, the present project examines Tolkien’s legendarium, primarily focusing on The Lord of the Rings, from the perspective of Timothy Morton’s ecological theories. Using concepts from Morton such as the ecological thought, dark ecology, the strange stranger, the mesh, and agrilogistics, this investigation shows that Tolkien’s work suggests that it is dangerous to create a dichotomy between nature and culture. A careful analysis of the characters Treebeard, Saruman, and Sméagol/Gollum from The Lord of the Rings shows that Tolkien provides readers with examples of how damaging the separation of nature and culture is to an individual and the surrounding environment. Through the character of Sam Gamgee, in contrast, Tolkien demonstrates the importance of recognizing the unity of ecology, not just for our own benefit, but for future generations.

The Nature Of Middle-Earth

The Nature Of Middle-Earth PDF Author: J.R.R. Tolkien
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0358531926
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 467

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Book Description
The first ever publication of J.R.R. Tolkien’s final writings on Middle-earth, covering a wide range of subjects and perfect for those who have read and enjoyed The Silmarillion, The Lord of the Rings, Unfinished Tales, and The History of Middle-earth, and want to learn more about Tolkien’s magnificent world. It is well known that J.R.R. Tolkien published The Hobbit in 1937 and The Lord of the Rings in 1954–5. What may be less known is that he continued to write about Middle-earth in the decades that followed, right up until the years before his death in 1973. For him, Middle-earth was part of an entire world to be explored, and the writings in The Nature of Middle-earth reveal the journeys that he took as he sought to better understand his unique creation. From sweeping themes as profound as Elvish immortality and reincarnation, and the Powers of the Valar, to the more earth-bound subjects of the lands and beasts of Númenor, the geography of the Rivers and Beacon-hills of Gondor, and even who had beards! This new collection, which has been edited by Carl F. Hostetter, one of the world’s leading Tolkien experts, is a veritable treasure-trove offering readers a chance to peer over Professor Tolkien’s shoulder at the very moment of discovery: and on every page, Middle-earth is once again brought to extraordinary life.

Experiencing Environment and Place through Children's Literature

Experiencing Environment and Place through Children's Literature PDF Author: Amy Cutter-Mackenzie
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 131797946X
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 232

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Book Description
Recent scholarship on children’s literature displays a wide variety of interests in classic and contemporary children’s books. While environmental and ecological concerns have led to an interest in ‘ecocriticism’, as yet there is little on the significance of the ecological imagination and experience to both the authors and readers – young and old – of these texts. This edited collection brings together a set of original international research-based chapters to explore the role of children’s literature in learning about environments and places, with a focus on how children’s literature may inform and enrich our imagination, experiences and responses to environmental challenges and injustice. Contributions from Australia, Canada, USA and UK explore the diverse ways in which children’s literature can provide what are arguably some of the first and possibly most formative engagements that some children might have with ‘nature’. Chapters examine classic and new storybooks, mythic tales, and image-based and/or written texts read at home, in school and in the field. Contributors focus on exploring how children’s literature mediates and informs our imagination and understandings of diverse environments and places, and how it might open our eyes and lives to other presences, understandings and priorities through stories, their telling and re-telling, and their analysis. This book was originally published as a special issue of Environmental Education Research.

Approaches to Teaching Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and Other Works

Approaches to Teaching Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and Other Works PDF Author: Leslie A. Donovan
Publisher: Modern Language Association
ISBN: 1603292071
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 304

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Book Description
A philologist and medieval scholar, J. R. R. Tolkien never intended to write immensely popular literature that would challenge traditional ideas about the nature of great literature and that was worthy of study in colleges across the world. He set out only to write a good story, the kind of story he and his friends would enjoy reading. In The Hobbit and in The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien created an entire world informed by his vast knowledge of mythology, languages, and medieval literature. In the 1960s, his books unexpectedly gained cult status with a new generation of young, countercultural readers. Today, the readership for Tolkien's absorbing secondary world--filled with monsters, magic, adventure, sacrifice, and heroism--continues to grow. Part 1 of this volume, "Materials," introduces instructors to the rich array of resources available for teaching Tolkien, including editions and criticism of his fiction and scholarship, historical material on his life and times, audiovisual materials, and film adaptations of his fiction. The essays in part 2, "Approaches," help instructors introduce students to critical debates around Tolkien's work, its sources, its influence, and its connection to ecology, religion, and science. Contributors draw on interdisciplinary approaches to outline strategies for teaching Tolkien in a wide variety of classroom contexts.

People and Place in J.R.R. Tolkien's the Lord of the Rings

People and Place in J.R.R. Tolkien's the Lord of the Rings PDF Author: Susan M. Jeffers
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Ecocriticism
Languages : en
Pages : 274

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Representations of Nature in Middle-Earth

Representations of Nature in Middle-Earth PDF Author: Martin Simonson
Publisher:
ISBN: 9783905703344
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
Tolkien's portrayal of nature in Middle-earth has been interpreted in a variety of ways, often depending on the context of the reading. Some have seen Middle-earth and its potential destroyer, the Ring, as an allegory of the European continent under the threat of the atomic bomb, while others have embraced it as an artistic expression of the Green movement's agenda in the face of industrial abuse. Some have read nature in Tolkien's work in terms of myth and religion; yet others take the exhaustive descriptions of the physical environment as a sign that Middle-earth itself is the central protagonist of the stories. All in all, nature in Middle-earth plays a crucial role not only in the creation of atmospheres and settings that enhance the realism as well as the emotional appeal of the secondary world; it also acts as an active agent of change within the setting and the story. This collection of essays explores Middle-earth as an ecological entity, a scene for metaphysical speculation, an arboreal depository of cultural memory and a reflection of real-world natural and imperialistic processes.

Study Guide to The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien

Study Guide to The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien PDF Author: Intelligent Education
Publisher: Influence Publishers
ISBN: 1645422976
Category : Study Aids
Languages : en
Pages : 131

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Book Description
A comprehensive study guide offering in-depth explanation, essay, and test prep for JRR Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring, the first of one of the most well-known series in the world—Lord of the Rings Trilogy. As an epic novel of the mid twentieth century, Tolkien used elements of Nordic folk, Christianity, and realism to create the Middle-earth world. Moreover, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy was written in long-hand, revised, and then the whole work was rewritten backwards due to the first-time authors lack of funds and showing the author’s skill as a writer and scholar. This Bright Notes Study Guide explores the context and history of Tokien’s classic work, helping students to thoroughly explore the reasons it has stood the literary test of time. Each Bright Notes Study Guide contains: - Introductions to the Author and the Work - Character Summaries - Plot Guides - Section and Chapter Overviews - Test Essay and Study Q&As The Bright Notes Study Guide series offers an in-depth tour of more than 275 classic works of literature, exploring characters, critical commentary, historical background, plots, and themes. This set of study guides encourages readers to dig deeper in their understanding by including essay questions and answers as well as topics for further research.

Be a Hobbit, Save the Earth:

Be a Hobbit, Save the Earth: PDF Author: Steve Bivans
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781507856628
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 562

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Book Description
Do the crises in our world worry you? The pollution, the violence, the corruption, the apathy? Have you ever wished you could escape? Step through a mirror directly into Middle Earth? Steve Bivans, in his book, Be a Hobbit, Save the Earth, argues that we are already there. He examines the problems facing mankind and our planet today through the lens of Tolkien's world and the War of the Ring. The similarities are all around you, and the struggle is indeed very real. Middle Earth faced destruction at the hands of Sauron and Saruman; our world is under attack from the metaphorical Two Towers: Ignorance & Fear, and Poverty & Greed. Saruman-ic, Corporate Capitalism threatens to control and poison our agriculture, education systems, governments, and our common property-both real and cultural. Worst of all, our sense of humanity and hospitality is being sapped and despoiled. If left to continue unabated, the modern Saurons and Sarumans will devour the basic resources essential to our survival: the water, soil, and the very air we breathe. Our world has lost its 'Shireness.' Be a Hobbit, Save the Earth is a guide to bringing our 'Shireness' back, from the bottom up: one Hobbit, one home, and one Shire at a time. Steve Bivans draws positive lessons from Tolkien's works as a metaphorical map, a guide for reconnecting communities, and rebuilding them into sustainable, modern Shires. While our modern challenges seem complicated, nearly impossible, the solutions are really quite simple. The first step on that journey is a change of mind, a transformation from Modern Humans into Modern Hobbits. Only with this new way of thinking can we begin to clean up our scoured Shires: the damage done to our food supply, to our environment, to our communities, and to our political systems. Will that be easy? No, it will not. After all, realizing that the One Ring must be destroyed, was a simple concept, one that even a rustic Hobbit like Frodo Baggins could understand. Carrying it all the way to Mordor to accomplish the mission was another matter, so was cleaning up the Shire when he and his companions returned home. Such it is for us. The situation for our planet is dire; Mordor is at the door and the Black Riders are burning our Shires. What will YOU do? Will you destroy the Ring? Or will you hang on to your 'precioussss'? Do you have to move 'to the country' and live in a hole in the ground? Absolutely not. Moving isn't necessary. Instead, we need to bring Nature into our minds, and into those spaces we call home. We must change our story. We need to remember that we are PART of Nature, not Nature's masters. We need to return to harmony with Nature and with each other, to become what humans were destined to be, builders of gardens and Shires, as Hobbits, not Masters over creatures great and small. You can be a Hobbit, anywhere. Even in a condo in the middle of a city! So buy the book, read it, tell everyone you know about it, then Be a Hobbit, and Save the Earth!