The "Hobbit": A Journey into Maturity: 149 (Twayne's masterwork studies) - Hardcover

Green, William H.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0805788069 ISBN 13: 9780805788068

Publisher: Twayne Publishers Inc.,U.S., 1994

Synopsis

In the course of his travels from a cozily appointed little home in Bag-End to the dark and smoky lair of Smaug the dragon, the hobbit Bilbo Baggins comes upon not only dwarves, elves, goblins, and giant spiders but a wiser, better self. His journey, like those of the heroes in the long tradition of quest stories preceding The Hobbit, marks his passage from fearfulness to bravery, from self-indulgence to self-reliance, from ignorance to knowledge, from a kind of prolonged adolescence to responsible adulthood. William H. Green's finely crafted study places The Hobbit in the company of such quest narratives as Beowulf, The Odyssey, Don Quixote, and Tom Jones. Giving J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy tale for children the serious scholarly attention often reserved for works intended for adults, Green shows how Tolkien adapted the structure and dramatic force of the mythic quest to a modern literary form. Underlying Tolkien's tall tale of an unlikely hero drawn into a fantastic series of adventures is a complex exploration of the nature of the human journey into maturity and of the power of myth to both elucidate and validate that journey. Tolkien shared with psychoanalyst C. G. Jung an abiding belief in the healing power of myth. Green draws on Jung's theories of "archetypes" - symbolic patterns of thought and behavior expressed repeatedly in dreams, stories, and picturesto illuminate the psychological implications of Tolkien's work. Especially relevant to the story of Bilbo is Jung's view of the dragon-slaying hero as a symbol of increasing consciousness and individuation - that is, the journey into maturity. Rich in literary and linguistic allusion - the result of the Oxford scholar Tolkien'sencyclopedic knowledge of medieval myth and language - The Hobbit reflects its author's desire to address sophisticated themes in a form - the fantasy - derided by the literary critics of his day. Tolkien thus cloaked his love of what he called "fairy-stories" in a book for childr

About this title

Synopsis

This fantasy favourite of children and adolescents has neither children, nor women as main characters. Nevertheless, William Green's discussion reveals the sexual symbolism and gender relations in the story of Bilbo Baggins, the homebody hobbit who goes adventuring in spite of himself. By showing us that it is really the story of an adolescent's journey into maturity, Green explains why the book became a cult classic in the 1960s. By examining Tolkien's spatial imagery he demonstrates the depth of this literary work, identifying it as more than just a prequel to "The Lord of the Rings". The Masterwork Studies are readable explorations of classis texts. The goal of each Masterwork Study is to encourage creative thinking, enabling students to arrive at sound analyses of their own. Each volume illuminates themes and concepts of a classic text using clear and conversational language.

About the Author

William H. Green teaches at Western Kentucky University.

Edition details

• Publisher: Twayne Publishers Inc.,U.S.
• Publication date: 1994
• ISBN 10: 0805788069
• ISBN 13: 9780805788068
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 176