R. J. Rummel

State typology has been identified as one of the conditions which make genocide more likely. Under the democratic peace theory, it is believed that democratic states are less likely to engage in internal and external wars. In fact, Rummel (1995, p. 25) opines that the best way to prevent such acts of mass killing are to encourage “democratic openness, political competition, leaders responsible to their people, and limited government”. It is argued that totalitarian and autocratic regimes have historically been more likely to use genocide as a tool. This could be in part, due to the fact that these states do not have the same checks and balances on power in place that democracies do. Democratic states also place priority on the rights of minority…

Loyalty’s Different Meanings Loyalty can make or break any relationship. Loyalty is being there for that special someone, keeping secrets, only talking to them, and always protecting them from harmful things. Loyalty is when a person is committed to someone and they do not associate with anyone else on that same level, While some may say it is only having one friend that you only tell things to and expect them to keep it to him or her self. Loyalty is what defines a relationship it is like…

Hobbits are always predictable—they never have any adventures or do anything out of the ordinary. They like peace and quiet and enjoy the comforts of home, like the six meals they have a day. The unexpected hero, Mr. Bilbo Baggins, like any hobbit, enjoys the comforts of his hobbit hole, but eventually finds himself doing and saying things rather unexpected. The Hobbit, a fantasy fiction novel by J.R.R. Tolkien, shows how Bilbo evolves from a simple hobbit to a true hero. Bilbo Baggins…

around the world. On that day Peter Jackson released the third and final Hobbit movie, The Battle of Five Armies. It was almost exactly thirteen years before, (December 19th, 2001) that he released the first movie of The Lord of the Rings trilogy; The Fellowship of the Ring. This was a huge moment for all the fans of J.R.R Tolkien’s books, because The Battle of Five Armies is the last part of the whole series. Although the Hobbit trilogy was very enjoyable and emotional, it was also a bit…

Narrative Suture and Reader Engagement in The Hobbit Reader engagement is critical for the success of a novel. If a reader is not interested in the novel, it is unlikely for them to finish it or recommend it to others. Therefore, an author will use various narrative strategies to promote reader engagement, and this is something that J. R. R. Tolkien does extremely well. The Hobbit has received wide critical acclaim and has become one of the most famous novels of our time, due in part to the…

It was the year 2010, I was 17 years old, and at the time I was living with my older brother Jacob and his family. I was downstairs in the computer room checking my Facebook as usual, when all of the sudden I get a message from my father in Norway. My father was a very prominent pastor in the Hampton roads area for nearly thirty years, but he and my mother had some problems and decided to get a divorce about four years earlier. After the divorce my father had decided to move to Norway and host a…

All narratives refer to the art of storytelling, a sequence that is followed known as the Hero’s Journey. An example of a narrative that exhibits the Hero’s Journey is The Hobbit, a fictional novel written by J.R.R Tolkien about a Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, who goes on an enticing adventure. This essay will elucidate why tests, allies, and enemies, the sixth stage of the Hero’s Journey, more specifically the tests, is the most significant stage of the narrative, as the trials mold Bilbo into a…

The book How to Read Literature like a Professor, written by Thomas Foster, describes an assortment of archetypes, or themes, to explore in everyday literature. The Hobbit, written by J. R. R. Tolkien, is a story about a young male who goes through a life changing journey that reflects some of these archetypes. There are many types of archetypes in this story including a communion and a hero’s quest. The story shows young readers that you can have an adventure without needing fancy technology,…

J.R.R Tolkien is credited with having the second best selling book series in the world. The series has sold over 150 million copies. The Two Towers is the second book of the Lord Of The Rings series. The book was published on November 11, 1954. The Silmarillion paints a bigger picture to the overall story of The Lord of the Rings; it goes more in depth into the lives of characters and the lands they inhabit. The Silmarillion was finished by Tolkien’s son, then he published it on September 15,…

Bilbo’s Discovery of Bravery An American soldier, Omar. W Bradley once said, “bravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared half to death”(www.brainyquote.com). In the novel, The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien, Bilbo Baggins, a timid and meek hobbit, proves this true, as he overcomes his sheepishness, and battles terrifying creatures along his extensive journey. Bilbo Baggins is just an ordinary hobbit who is forced into an adventure, but the experiences along the journey teach him how to…