Tolkien & Co.
Christopher Robinson
This course will explore the evolution of a quintessentially Anglo-American literary genre, fantasy, and the writings of its greatest modern practitioner, J.R.R. Tolkien. We will first study the roots of heroic fantasy in Celtic fairy tales, Norse sagas, Arthurian romance and the epic poem Beowulf, widely considered as the first masterpiece of English literature. We will then concentrate on Tolkien’s two major works: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Other writers of fantasy will also be discussed, such as Lord Dunsany, C.S. Lewis and Ursula K. Le Guin. In addition to fiction, we will discuss excerpts from critical studies of fantasy and the figure of the hero, including Tolkien’s own “On Fairy-Stories” and Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces.
- Teaching coordinator: Langlois Laura Hilary
- Teaching coordinator: Robinson Christopher