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TORn Amateur Symposium
Bree
Apr 8 2014, 9:27pm
Post #1 of 15
(1517 views)
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TORn Amateur Symposium: Abstracts for TAS 3
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Greetings, TORn Brethren and Guests!
The TAS Team is thrilled to showcase these pieces in our very own Symposium, with each submission linked in some way to JRRT's world and writings. The Abstracts for each submission are below, along with the dates that the pieces will be posted here in the Reading Room.
We hope you will enjoy these writings are much as we do. In addition, comments and discussion will be, as always, welcomed. Cheers and happy reading!
Interlacing the War of the Ring
by NoWizardMe
At the end of The Fellowship of The Ring, the Fellowship breaks into groups, and is never fully re-united until after the destruction of the Ring. The action of the story is reported in a fashion called 'interlace'; following one group for a while and then weaving back in time to catch up with what the others have been doing. It is a system which Tolkien exploits for a variety of effects, and this paper offers a commentary on some of these.
Post date: Sunday, April 13th
A Musing on Elves, Dwarves, Archetypes and Favorite Characters
by Swordwhale
An Elf and a Dwarf walk into a meade hall... and find out they have something in common. A musing on Elves, Hobbits, Dwarves, Archetypes and favorite characters, who we identify with, and how the Blond Guy With the Longbow got replaced by a short guy in an earflappy hat... or not.
Post date: Tuesday, April 15th
The ‘New Man’ from Morris to Tolkien: Masculinity, Identity, and the Reinvention of Medieval Honor in Early Fantasy Literature
by Chris Larimore
In the first half of the twentieth century, many social and political changes affected individuals and societies alike; the effects of two World Wars, political shifts in ideology, and the perceptions of masculinity/femininity were called in to question, with people looking for answers outside themselves. Naturally, some members of society turned to fiction for these answers, and so it fell on a select few to bring a sense of unity, hope and purpose to the lives of their readers. In this essay, I will illustrate the different ways in which writers of fantasy literature – including William Morris JRR Tolkien, and Robert Howard – reinvented traditional honor codes, social structure and unity, in an attempt to make sense of the world as it then was.
Post date: Thursday, April 17th
Aragorn and the Weight of Lineage
by RangerLady23
This essay is based on a conversation I had on Barliman’s Chat about our favorite characters and why we liked them. I find Aragorn to be a fascinating person and really, one of Tolkien’s best written characters overall.
This essay will take you on a trip through the history of Man and discover why there really is more to Aragorn than meets the eye. I will take you through his thought process and his fears about his destiny and who he should really be.
I think you will enjoy this essay and be able to look at the character and maybe yourself, just a little differently at the end.
Post date: Saturday, April 19th
The Lessons of Prometheus in Tolkien's Legendarium
by Mim the Dwarf
In the spring of 1986 I was a senior English major at the University of Maryland, College Park campus. Deviating from my core curriculum I had the privilege to attend a class on myth-making by Dr. Verlyn Flieger, a trail blazer in the study of J.R.R. Tolkien’s work, and still a giant in matters of literary and mythical import. My TORn Amateur Symposium submission is my term paper comparing the Greek playwright Aeschylus with Tolkien, using Promethean imagery as points of comparison. My contention was that each author channelled an ancient pessimistic mythical framework to express their own more optimistic world view, and that each represented in their own epochs a prevailing concurrence within a significant portion of the populace. Score one for retentive geeks with file cabinets.
Post Date: Monday, April 21st
Fate and the Self-Fulfilling prophecy in The Children of Hurin
by Steven Umbrello
This paper demonstrates that the sorrows of Turin are not simply caused by the metaphysical powers of Morgoth's Curse, but also by the nature of the paradigm known as the self-fullfilling prophecy. It was determined that although the majority of evils that befall Turin were indeed caused by Morgoth's curse, there is at least one instance that is caused by Turin himself because of his conscious awareness of the curses existence.
Post Date: Wednesday, April 23rd
Hurin’s Stand: Applicability for an Addict
by Bow and Helm
Through a life-altering event I found myself diving into Professor Tolkien’s Middle-earth mythology. I did not expect to find words that would speak into my situation; the applicability Tolkien wrote about. In this essay I explore Tolkien’s faërie-story themes of recovery, escape, and consolation through an autobiographical tale.
Post date: Friday, April 25th
Katanagatari, Tolkien, the Untold/Unfulfilled Story, and Hope
by Rembrethil
What does a Japanese anime and Tolkien have in common? They both feature some common ideas and have provoked my mind to ponder them deeply. Presenting complicated thoughts on life, fate, history, hope, and heroism, they combined to form a train of thought that sent me on a journey to appreciate their qualities again, in both a literary and artistic sense, and also a very real, personal way.
Post Date: Sunday, April 27th
What the Well-Dressed Hobbit Is Wearing
by Katy Colby
We meet people with our eyes before we ever shake their hands, and a large part of this initial conversation is carried out by the clothing our new acquaintances wear. For anthropologists, the clothing in a grave is an important guide to the values, lifestyles, and cultures of long-dead people. Fictional characters communicate to us through their clothing just as clearly, if we know how to read the signals they are sending. Professor Tolkien gives us little description of his characters’ outfits, but what he does tell us offers clear insight into the deeply held values of the various cultures we meet in his novels. Just as important, the clothing described offers secrets about the psychological makeup of the characters themselves. This paper is only a brief overview of a few of the cultures we meet, based on what we know of the clothing they choose. I also speculate on what fibers they might work with, based on their need for protection and desire for comfort and appearance.
Post date: Tuesday, April 29th
Aragorn as the Hope of Middle-earth
by Ajgetway
The idea for my paper came from noticing the connection between the word and use of "hope" in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy and the fact that Aragorn’s name as a child in Rivendell was Estel, meaning hope. From reviewing both the books and the films, along with some outside sources, I came to the conclusion that Aragorn ultimately is the hope of Middle-Earth and you can discover it by tracing his development as a leader through his journey to the throne and help defeating Sauron.
Post date: Thursday, May 1st
(For our Authors: Watch for the Personal Message providing you with the link to review your pieces. )
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BlackFox
Half-elven
Apr 8 2014, 9:39pm
Post #2 of 15
(1264 views)
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"Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake." - Henry David Thoreau
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cats16
Half-elven
Apr 9 2014, 12:28am
Post #3 of 15
(1254 views)
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All of these look fantastic. Lots of diversity in the motivation of the pieces too, whether they be academically-written, or more anecdotal and personal.
A great lineup!
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Brethil
Half-elven
Apr 9 2014, 1:13am
Post #4 of 15
(1252 views)
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Enjoy the readings!  Hope to see you there as well!
Have an idea relating to the world of JRR Tolkien that you would like to write about? If so, the Third TORn Amateur Symposium will be running in the Reading Room April, 2014. *The Call for Submissions is up*!
**And Rem, you are doing that CoH chapter. Don't forget. **
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Brethil
Half-elven
Apr 9 2014, 1:15am
Post #5 of 15
(1258 views)
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in topics and styles! As you say Cats, a great lineup, and a lot of wonderful writing.
Have an idea relating to the world of JRR Tolkien that you would like to write about? If so, the Third TORn Amateur Symposium will be running in the Reading Room April, 2014. *The Call for Submissions is up*!
**And Rem, you are doing that CoH chapter. Don't forget. **
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BlackFox
Half-elven
Apr 9 2014, 9:40am
Post #6 of 15
(1242 views)
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You know, I found these boards when I came to read the papers of the first TORn Amateur Symposium. It has a special place in my heart.
"Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake." - Henry David Thoreau
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noWizardme
Half-elven
Apr 9 2014, 9:47am
Post #7 of 15
(1237 views)
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The TAS: something a cat and a fox agree about? :) //
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~~~~~~
"… ever let your aim be to come at truth, not to conquer your opponent. So you never shall be at a loss in losing the argument, and gaining a new discovery.”
Arthur Martine
"nowimë I am in the West, Furincurunir to the Dwarves (or at least, to their best friend) and by other names in other lands. Mostly they just say 'Oh no it's him - look busy!' "
Or "Hold off! unhand me, grey-beard loon!"
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BlackFox
Half-elven
Apr 9 2014, 10:00am
Post #8 of 15
(1234 views)
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"Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake." - Henry David Thoreau
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Brethil
Half-elven
Apr 9 2014, 5:10pm
Post #11 of 15
(1224 views)
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Yes we have a good bit of Aragorn in this TAS, Simplyaven
[In reply to]
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Which is always a good thing!   They are a pleasure to read too.
Have an idea relating to the world of JRR Tolkien that you would like to write about? If so, the Third TORn Amateur Symposium will be running in the Reading Room April, 2014. *The Call for Submissions is up*!
**And Rem, you are doing that CoH chapter. Don't forget. **
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cats16
Half-elven
Apr 9 2014, 7:44pm
Post #12 of 15
(1220 views)
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Ethelwynn
Registered User
Apr 9 2014, 10:56pm
Post #13 of 15
(1208 views)
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This is what I call an embarrassment of riches. I've got some good tea stocked up so I can relax and enjoy these.
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Brethil
Half-elven
Apr 10 2014, 12:00am
Post #14 of 15
(1207 views)
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Have an idea relating to the world of JRR Tolkien that you would like to write about? If so, the Third TORn Amateur Symposium will be running in the Reading Room April, 2014. *The Call for Submissions is up*!
**And Rem, you are doing that CoH chapter. Don't forget. **
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