HOBBITS, ELVES, AND WIZARDS

205 Pages·2001·6.41 MB·English

HOBBITS,
ELVES, AND WIZARDS
Michael N. Stanton
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H ,
O B B I T S
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I Z A R D S
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H ,
O B B I T S
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I Z A R D S
Exploring the Wonders
and Worlds of
J. R. R. Tolkien’s
The Lord of the Rings
MICHAEL N. STANTON
for St. Martin’s Press
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HOBBITS, ELVES, ANDWIZARDS
Copyright © Michael N. Stanton, 2001.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any
manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief
quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
First published 2001 by PALGRAVETM
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010
Companies and representatives throughout the world.
PALGRAVEis the new global publishing imprint of St. Martin’s Press LLC
Scholarly and Reference Division and Palgrave Publishers Ltd. (formerly
Macmillan Press Ltd.).
ISBN 0–312–23826–6
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available at the Library
of Congress.
Design by Letra Libre, Inc.
First PALGRAVE edition: December 2001
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in the United States of America
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In Memory of My Parents
Thomas
(1886–1955)
and
Genevieve
(1915–2000)
And of My Student and
Fellow Lover of Tolkien
Christopher J. Hill
(1961–1990)
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Table of Contents
Acknowledgements ix
Preface xi
Part I
Chapter 1 Backgrounds 1
Chapter 2 Geography, History, Theme 11
Chapter 3 The Fellowship of the Ring:Prologue and Book I 21
Chapter 4 The Fellowship of the Ring:Book II 33
Chapter 5 A Short Interlude 45
Chapter 6 The Two Towers:Book III 51
Chapter 7 The Two Towers:Book IV 61
Chapter 8 The Return of the King:Book V 73
Chapter 9 The Return of the King:Book VI 83
Part II
Introductory Note 95
Chapter 10 The Elves 99
Chapter 11 The Dwarves 107
Chapter 12 The Ents 115
Chapter 13 Humankind 121
Chapter 14 Darkness, Evil, and Forms of the Enemy 133
Chapter 15 On Languages 147
Chapter 16 Mind, Spirit, and Dream in The Lord of the Rings 159
Afterword 171
Notes 173
Bibliography 181
Index 185
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Acknowledgements
Iwrote the first form of this book during a medical leave from teaching
at the University of Vermont in the spring of 1997. I wrote it to enter-
tain and instruct myself and sought neither encouragement nor warn-
ing; thus, the core of the book has been my responsibility from the start.
Since that early draft, however, I have had help in altering the book consid-
erably and, I hope, improving it somewhat.
For their help in the process, including suggestions, corrections, and
words of encouragement, I thank my colleagues at UVM and elsewhere, in-
cluding Virginia Clark, David Critchett, Chris Hansen, Mary Lou Kete,
Alfred Rosa, Robyn Warhol, and Jamie Williamson. Special thanks go to
Spencer Mallozzi, who read an early draft and gave me an honest reaction
to it from a student’s point of view; Spencer also helped me prepare a book
proposal when the time came.
Once the book left my desk, my agent Michael Rosenberg of the Rosen-
berg Group helped me greatly and represented me ably. My editor Michael
Flamini gave me wise counsel and encouragement in the right proportions.
Mark Fowler helped make the book a reality as it now exists, and so in an-
other sense did my nephew Alex Weinhagen, who solved a variety of com-
puter mysteries for me.
In the background are scholars and writers whose work has been useful to
me in diverse ways, and acknowledgement of whom in the notes and in the
Bibliography can scarcely repay my debt. They include the earlier critics of
Tolkien, such as Paul Kocher and Randel Helms, whose ideas are basic and even
now important. Humphrey Carpenter’s edition of the Letters, like his biogra-
phy of Tolkien, has been a valuable resource. Everyone concerned with Tolkien