Representations of Nature in Middle-earth

ISBN-13: 9783905703344 / Angielski / Miękka / 2015 / 256 str.

Martin Simonson

Opis

Tolkiens portrayal of nature in Middle-earth has beeninterpreted in a variety of ways, often depending on thecontext of the reading. Some have seen Middle-earthand its potential destroyer, the Ring, as an allegory ofthe European continent under the threat of the atomicbomb, while others have embraced it as an artisticexpression of the Green movements agenda in the faceof industrial abuse. Some have read nature in Tolkienswork in terms of myth and religion; yet others take theexhaustive descriptions of the physical environment asa sign that Middle-earth itself is the central protagonistof the stories. All in all, nature in Middle-earth playsa crucial role not only in the creation of atmospheresand settings that enhance the realism as well as theemotional appeal of the secondary world; it also actsas an active agent of change within the setting andthe story. This collection of essays explores Middle-earthas an ecological entity, a scene for metaphysicalspeculation, an arboreal depository of cultural memoryand a reflection of real-world natural and imperialisticprocesses.