Date of Award

2013

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Humanities

First Advisor

Myhill, Nova

Keywords

Lord of the Rings, de Certeau, Landscape

Area of Concentration

Literature

Abstract

My thesis argues that J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings develops "space" and "place" through character while Peter Jackson's adaptations of the novels craft character through landscapes. I use Michel de Certeau's philosophies on "space" and "place" to discuss the transitory nature of liminal landscapes by comparing the different notions of place created by the Fellowship with those by the supernatural entities. The quest structure and the relationship between character and landscape can be seen in both medieval literature and Tolkien's work. This demonstrates how Tolkien is progressing and advancing the genre of fantasy literature through medieval literary practices. In my first chapter, I look at the mines of Moria and discuss the formation of "place" and "space" in Khazad-dum. This involves how the dwarves, the Balrog, and the Fellowship impact the location, in both the literature, and the films. The multiple notions of place in the literature are developed by the characters and demonstrate how the films can only achieve a single notion of place because of the attention on the landscape in building identity. In my second chapter, I discuss Lothlorien and the Elves. I compare how the Elves and the Fellowship affect the location, as well as the transience of the notion of place of the Elves, and the beginning of the Age of Men, signaling the end of liminality.

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida Libraries, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

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