CLA/ENG!160:!Myth,!Legend,!and!!the!Works!of!J.R.R.!Tolkien!
Fall!2009!
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John Rauk
214 Old Horticulture
Tess Tavormina
224 Morrill Hall
Office Hours MW 12:00-12:30 F 10:30-12:30 (and by appt.)
Office Hours MW 1:00-2:30 (and by appt.)
Course Description
This course examines the works of J. R. R. Tolkien in the context of legend, myth and mythmaking
from Ancient Greece and Rome through the medieval period, with a special focus on the nature of
myth and its relevance in the present day.
This is a reading-intensive course. In order to do well, you will need to budget your time appropriately
and complete all the readings. We will not take attendance, but if you miss classes your grade will
suffer.
Aims
!
To understand the process of myth-making in European culture through the study of Tolkien’s
“created” mythology
!
To gain insight into the meanings discoverable through the exercise of imagination that is
informed by myth
!
To acquire knowledge of seminal myths that inspired Tolkien and the texts that preserve them
!
To situate Tolkien’s moral and ethical universe in the context of 20th-century aesthetic,
philosophical, and political concerns
Texts
The Odyssey of Homer, trans. Richmond Lattimore
The Tolkien Reader, by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Lord of the Rings: 50th Anniversary, One Vol. Edition, by J.R.R. Tolkien
Beowulf trans. Burton Raffel (with afterword by Roberta Frank)
The Farthest Shore (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 3), by Ursula K. Le Guin
Course-pack (available only at Ned’s Bookstore)
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Class Format and Policies
Students prepare assigned reading for each class. We will introduce class topics and present
background for readings in lecture format that encourages student discussion. All work, including the
assigned readings, must be completed by the due date.
Turn off cell phones in class, and please do not bring any food or beverages into the classroom.
No electronic devices of any kind, including cell phones, laptops, and iPods, are allowed to be
operating during exams.
If you miss an exam due to a university-sponsored activity (e.g., band, debate team), a make-up can be
arranged, provided valid documentation is submitted one week in advance. Absences from exams due
to sudden illness are excused only if valid documentation (e.g., signed record of doctor visit with
phone number) is submitted within three calendar days of the time of the exam.
All exams will be multiple-choice. Questions will be based both on reading assignments and lecture
materials.
Constructive contribution to class discussion may be taken into account for students whose grade falls
on a borderline.
Students who have already had one or more semesters at MSU and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher, or
who are in the Honors College, can take an Honors Option for this course Please consult us if you are
interested.
Grade
Grading Scale
Two Exams @ 30%
60%
Final Exam
40%
100-91
90-88
87-82
81-77
76-72
71-67
66-62
4.0
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
Schedule
Sep 2.
Welcome and Introduction to the Course
________________
Sep 7.
Labor Day: no class
Sep 9.
Ideas of Myth and Fantasy: The Tolkien Reader, pp. 31-99,“On Fairy Stories”; Le
Guin, “Why Are Americans Afraid of Dragons?” (Course-pack, pp. 106-09)
________________
Sep 14.
Odyssey, Books I-VI
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Sep 16.
Odyssey, Books VII-XII
________________
Sep 21.
Odyssey, Books XIII-XVIII
Sep 23.
Odyssey, Books XIX-XXIV
________________
Sep 28.
The Tolkien Reader, pp. 121-87, “Farmer Giles of Ham”; The Hobbit, Chapters I-II
Sep 30.
The Hobbit, Chapters III-VII
______________________________
Oct 5.
The Hobbit, Chapters VIII-XII
Oct 7.
The Hobbit, Chapters XIII-XIX
________________
Oct 12.
Exam I
Oct 14.
Hesiod, Theogony (beginning) (Course-pack, pp. 1-20); The Silmarillion,
“Ainulindalë,” “Valaquenta,” “Quenta Silmarillion,” I-IX;
______________________________
Oct 19.
The Silmarillion, “Quenta Silmarillion,” X-XXIV
Oct 21.
The Silmarillion, “Akallabêth,” “Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age”; Poetic
Edda and Prose Edda (selections) (Course-pack, pp. 21-79)
______________________________
Oct 26.
Beowulf: Introduction, Afterword, and lines 1-1250
Oct 28.
Beowulf: lines 1817-3182; Tolkien, “The Monsters and the Critics” (Course-pack, pp.
80-105)
______________________________
Nov 2.
Fellowship of the Ring, “Prologue” and Book One, Chapters I-VII
Nov 4.
Fellowship of the Ring, Book One, Chapters VIII-XII; Book Two, Chapters I-II
______________________________
Nov 9.
Fellowship of the Ring, Book Two, Chapters III-X
Nov 11.
The Two Towers, Book Three, Chapters I-XI
______________________________
Nov 16.
The Two Towers, Book Four, Chapters I-X
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Nov 18.
Exam II
______________________________
Nov 23.
The Return of the King, Book Five, Chapters I-VI
Nov 25.
The Return of the King, Book Five, Chapters VII-X; Book Six, Chapters I-IV
______________________________
Nov 30.
The Return of the King, Book Six, Chapters V-IX
Dec 2.
The Farthest Shore, “The Rowan Tree”-“Sea Dreams;” Le Guin, “The Critics, the
Monsters, and the Fantasists” (Course-pack, pp. 110-18)
______________________________
Dec 7.
The Farthest Shore, “Lorbanery”-“The Stone of Pain”
Dec 9.
Conclusions
______________________________
Final Exam
Friday December 18, 10:00-12:00 noon, 206 Old Horticulture
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