LE3 .A278 2007

2007

Whetter, Kevin

Acadia University

Master of Arts

Masters

English

English & Theatre Studies

This thesis focuses on the themes of loss and recovery in Tolkien's Saga of Jewels and Rings, that is, 'The Lord of the Rings' and ' The Silmarillion'. Sadness and regret are woven into the very fabric of the story. 'The Lord of the Rings', barring several instances of analepsis and glimpses of lands and times far off, is set in the Fading Years. The Elves wane as Men wax; they "diminish and go into the West." The magic of ancient times ebbs; strength and power dwindle. This loss and fading is manifold--geographic and luminescent, individual and global, stylistic and generic--but the primary site is language. Language is the ultimate inspiration of Tolkien's tales and forms the backbone of his world. It is also the means by which Aragorn, the returning king, restores the fallen world. The theoretical basis of the present work arises from the tension between cyclical and linear time and history. Keystone works include Northrop Frye's ' Anatomy of Criticism', Giambattisa Vico's 'The New Science ', Tom Shippey's 'The Road to Middle-earth' and ' Author of the Century', and Verlyn Flieger's 'Splintered Light: Logos and Language in Tolkien's World'. My study reconciles these varying concepts and criticisms. It delves into the mythology to examine how Tolkien's world experiences decay and how this lapsarianism is imagined by the peoples of Middle-earth.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:2858