Approaches to Teaching Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and Other Works

A philologist and medieval scholar, J. R. R. Tolkien never intended to challenge traditional ideas about literature or to write a work that would be studied in colleges around the world. He set out only to write a good story. But his The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings unexpectedly gained cult status in the 1960s. Today, the readership for Tolkiens absorbing secondary world - filled with monsters, magic, adventure, sacrifice, and heroism - continues to grow. Part 1 of this volume, Materials, introduces instructors to the rich array of resources available for teaching Tolkien, including editions and criticism of his fiction and scholarship, historical material on his life and times, audiovisual materials, and film adaptations of his fiction. The essays in part 2, Approaches, help instructors introduce students to critical debates around Tolkiens work, its sources, its influence, and its connection to ecology, religion, and science.