T. R. Tolkien Literary Criticism

In 2001, the International Congress on Medieval Studies at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo allowed three sessions on Tolkien to be presented. That seminal event was the ‘nucleus’ from which this collection sprang. For forty years, editor Jane Chance, Professor Emerita in English of Rice University, has written and taught medieval literature, medieval culture, medieval women and modern medievalism. She has authored or edited five critical studies of Tolkien’s work, as well as numerous scholarly articles. In her introduction, Chance notes that since Peter Jackson began filming The Lord of the Rings in 1999, “there has been a parallel rise in interest in his writings and books about his writings” (1). Additionally, the publication of The History of Middle-earth series in the 1980s and 1990s has provided scholars with a wealth …show more content…
Chism’s essay is an examination of Tolkien’s use of mythology against the backdrop of World War II, particularly contrasting his attitude towards power with that of both Axis and Allied ‘powers.’ Most interesting is her look at the how Tolkien’s Ring changed over time, from the relatively harmless magic token of The Hobbit, to the One Ring which seeks to ‘rule them all.’ She points out the many motifs of German myths from which Tolkien drew, but also details the important ways in which his use of those motifs differed from that of the Nazis. She also suggests that witnessing of the misuse of mythology had a profound influence on Tolkien, and may have contributed to his inability to finish The Silmarillion. This is an idea which I will keep in mind when looking at any late changes to Lúthien’s