Research Catalog

Title

Pity, power, and Tolkien's ring : to rule the fate of many / Thomas P. Hillman.

Author

Hillman, Thomas P.

Publication

• Kent, Ohio : The Kent State University Press, [2023]
• ©2023

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

Kent State University. Press, publisher.

Description

xiii, 306 pages; 23 cm

Summary

"In this remarkable work of close reading and analysis, Thomas P. Hillman gets to the heart of the tension between pity and the desire for power in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. As the book traces the entangled story of the One Ring and its effects, we come to understand Tolkien's central paradox: while pity is necessary for destroying the Ring, it cannot save the Ring-bearer from the Ring's lies and corruption. In composing The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien explored the power of the Ring and the seeming powerlessness of pity. All the themes his mythology had come to encompass-death and immortality, fate and free will, divine justice and the problem of evil, power and war-took on a new dimension in the journey of Frodo Baggins. Hillman's attention to specific etymologies and patterns of words used in the text, complemented by his judicious use of Tolkien's letters, earlier drafts of the novels, and Tolkien's essays, leads to illuminating and original insights. Instead of turning his interpretation to allegory or apologetics, Hillman demonstrates how the story works metaphorically, allowing Tolkien to embrace both Catholic views and pagan mythology. With this fresh understanding of familiar material, Pity, Power, and Tolkien's Ring will ignite new discussions and deeper appreciation among Tolkien readers and scholars alike"--

Subject

• Tolkien, J. R. R. 1892-1973
• Lord of the rings (Tolkien, J. R. R.)
• Sympathy in literature
• Power (Philosophy) in literature

Genre/Form

Literary criticism.

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (pages 289-298) and index.

Contents

Bilbo's lie and the ring -- Bilbo's pity and the ring -- The 1951 Hobbit and "The shadow of the past" -- From Bag End to Rivendell -- From Rivendell to Amon Hen -- From the Emyn Muil to the Dead Marshes -- From the Black Gate to Ithilien -- From Ithilien to Cirith Ungol -- Hobbies in darkness -- From the Black Land to the Undying Lands -- Pity and power in time.

Call Number

JFE 24-505

ISBN

• 9781606354711
• 160635471X
• 9781631015335 (canceled/invalid)
• 9781631015342 (canceled/invalid)

LCCN

2023036881

OCLC

1370000402

Author

Hillman, Thomas P., author.

Title

Pity, power, and Tolkien's ring : to rule the fate of many / Thomas P. Hillman.

Publisher

Kent, Ohio : The Kent State University Press, [2023]

Copyright Date

©2023

Type of Content

text

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

volume

Bibliography

Includes bibliographical references (pages 289-298) and index.

Added Author

Kent State University. Press, publisher.

Research Call Number

JFE 24-505