Mirror on Middle-earth: J. R. R. Tolkien and the critical perspectives

This dissertation evaluates the commentary on J. R. R. Tolkien, which includes the author's self-criticism. Commonly-held views of Tolkien reception, such as that there is a large body of "hostile" criticism or that relatively few "serious" studies exist, are misinformed. Rather than being concerned about the presence of negative or adulatory views of Tolkien, scholars should acknowledge the potential problems in adopting Tolkien's comments on his own works, especially since many of these remarks are slippery or possibly disingenuous. Still, as the varied and numerous critical perspectives on Tolkien indicate, for sixty years scholars have recognized the literary depths and merits of the author's writings.; The first part of the dissertation examines the elusive literary concept "fantasy" and the premises of "Tolkienian fantasy;" this analysis sets the context for the discussion of the scholarship on Middle-earth. Next, the study evaluates the first major period in Tolkien criticism, which starts with reviews of The Hobbit in 1937 and ends at the publication of the second edition of The Lord of the Rings in 1965. In the years following the publication of the Middle-earth tales, Tolkien provided commentaries on the creative inspirations behind them. The dissertation assesses the initial block of Tolkien's self-criticism, such as his article "Tolkien on Tolkien."; The next major period of commentary comprises studies published between 1966 and 1976 (the year before the initial publication of The Silmarillion ). The dissertation then examines another significant block of Tolkien's self-criticism, which includes the collection of his letters. The last chapter provides an assessment of the current state of the extensive and diverse commentary on Tolkien.; Therefore, the customary labels for Tolkien criticism, such as "hostile" vs. "laudatory" or "popular" vs. "serious," are more misleading than representative. While there may be starkly differing views of Tolkien and uncertainty as to whether he is considered a "canonical" author, his writings remain among the most widely read and consistently admired works of literature of the twentieth century.