EL1064: Writing about Literature
Professor Amie Parry
Spring 2012

Time: Thursday 14:00-16:50
Place: A105
Office A218; phone: x33215
amie.parry@gmail.com

Course Description:

This course approaches literature as an attempt to represent social change and aspects of daily life for which there is no adequate factual language. Taking Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings (1954-55) as a case study, we will read this trilogy as a response to the experience of war and colonialism, events that shaped the later history of the 20th century. Tolkien (1892-1973) was born in colonial South Africa, orphaned at a young age, brought up in English boarding schools, and then fought in WWI (Battle of the Somme); in that war all but one of his close friends died. As is often the case in modernism, this novel problematizes the concept of evil and addresses the question of how to live through such times. Over the course of the semester, we will consider the novel's contradictory treatment of some of the 20th century's most important social issues. For example, its timely critique of racial prejudice is complicated by an affirmation of pure bloodline, racial heritage, and opposition to a dark lord and dark races. Similarly, critiques of national chauvinism, class hierarchy and dictatorship are made alongside affirmations of patriotism, feudalistic social order, and non-representative modes of government. Issues pertaining to sexuality and gender also are treated with ambivalence: the few women characters in the novel are strong, wise and integral to the plot but not included in the fellowship; and some of the many forms of male homosociality border on queerness while the narrative contains no explicit references to homosexuality. This kind of ambivalence may be why the novel has been so widely "applicable" (Tolkien's term), appealing to people with vastly different worldviews, value systems and political beliefs. It can be read as either traditional or progressive: it has been embraced as both an affirmation of Western cultural values by the right and as a critique of Western imperialism and militarism by the left, as a deeply Catholic text by Christians and as a pagan one by hippies (it achieved widespread popularity during the 60s and 70s), etc. We will consider the novel's ambivalent feudal-mythical landscape as a site for representing important contradictions in the ongoing construction of the self-definition of the "modern" and the "West." Students will be asked to write about these questions by responding to critical writings on LOTR, with one short paper due at the end of each unit. For the final paper, students will rewrite and further develop one of the three papers, with workshop feedback from me and from other students.

Course requirements:

Students are required to have finished reading The Lord of the Rings before taking this course--in translation is fine. As a class we will read selected chapters (not the entire work) of The Lord of the Rings in English. Rather than going through the text from beginning to end, we will skip around, reading chapters and criticism each week on relevant topics. Class meetings will consist of quizzes, short lectures, group discussions, and writing workshops. Short papers will be assigned for each unit; these can be turned in any time during the unit, but late responses will not be accepted. The final paper will be an independent research paper on an approved topic.

Grading Policy:

Attendance is mandatory and participation is strongly encouraged in this class. Up to two absences are permitted; a further absence will result in a failing grade for the class. Three tardies will count as one absence. Grades will be calculated as follows:

Participation (in-class assignments, quizzes, workshops)　　　40%
Short papers (3-4 pages; no late responses accepted) 　　　　20%
Final paper　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 40%

Textbooks:

Course reader (Gaoguan); The Lord of the Rings (all three books, any edition)

Schedule of classes: