In a Hole in the Ground There Lived a Novel of Not So Little Consequence
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
In a Hole in the Ground There Lived a Novel of Not so Little Consequence by Shilo Pearle Thesis Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts with Honours in English Acadia University April, 2014 © Copyright by Shilo Pearle, 2014 ii This thesis by Shilo Pearle is accepted in its present form by the Department of English as satisfying the thesis requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts with Honours Approved by the Thesis Supervisor . Dr. Kevin Whetter Date Approved by the Head of the Department . Dr. John Eustace Date Approved by the Honours Committee . Dr. Matthew Lukeman Date iii iv I, SHILO PEARLE, grant permission to the University Librarian at Acadia University to reproduce, loan or distribute copies of my thesis in microform, paper or electronic formats on a non-profit basis. I, however, retain the copyright in my thesis. _________________________________ Signature of Author _________________________________ Date v vi Acknowledgement I would like to take this opportunity to thank my thesis advisor Dr. Kevin Whetter, without whose help I would have never made it to the end of my quest. Dr. Whetter, you have been my guiding Gandalf. It has been a long and tough road at times, but you encouraged me every step of the way, and helped me find my own footing. Thank you for helping me tackle my own dragon. vii viii Table of Contents Acknowledgments…………………………………………………………. vii Abstract………………………………………………………………………. xi Introductions ………………………………………………………………. 1 Chapter 1: True Faërie …………………………………………………… 4 Chapter 2: The Minor Works ……………………………………………. 17 Chapter 3: The Soup Ingredients ……………………………………… 30 Chapter 4: The Soup as Soup ………………………………………….. 51 Conclusion ………………………………………………………………….. 70 Bibliography ………………………………………………………………… 72 ix x Abstract In this thesis, I endeavour to explain why The Hobbit deserves further critical research. First, in Chapter One, I illustrate the key elements which Tolkien believed must be contained within a genuine fairy story. Next I consider two of Tolkien’s pre-hobbit minor works, Mr. Bliss and Roverandom, and how they fall short of being true fairy stories. I then begin to examine The Hobbit itself. In Chapter Three I focus on some of the works which had significant influence on Tolkien while writing The Hobbit. In the final chapter, I explore some of the current critical studies on the novel and attempt to show how these studies do not do The Hobbit justice. I also attempt to comment on some of the characters which scholars tend to overlook, such as the Mirkwood elves, and the eagles. Drawing attention to these shortcomings in the current studies of The Hobbit confirms that more critical research must be done. Overall, I venture to establish that The Hobbit has been greatly, and wrongly, ignored by scholars. xi xii Introduction J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit has, for too long, been overlooked by researchers in their rush to get to his larger saga, The Lord of the Rings. Critics, such as Randel Helms, argue that “[t]aken in and for itself, Tolkien’s children’s story deserves little serious, purely literary criticism” (Helms 52). This is truly surprising, as The Hobbit has so much to offer. Moreover, what little research that has been done on The Hobbit is unconvincing at best. Therefore, in this thesis, I will explain why, based on the many elements that Tolkien skilfully weaves together in creating the novel, The Hobbit deserves further critical research, thus proving that it does stand-up as a true Tolkienian fairy story along with The Lord of the Rings. First, in Chapter One, I illustrate the key elements which Tolkien believed must be contained within a genuine fairy story as laid out in his own critical essay “On Fairy-Stories” in other words, those elements which make up the soup of fairy tale. I will return to this idea of story as “soup” throughout this thesis, but as Chapter One makes clear, the metaphor itself is Tolkien’s and is important in assessing his understanding of the genre. I will also clarify why Tolkien’s own scholarly works are the best critical basis for evaluating his own work. In Chapter Two I consider two of Tolkien’s pre-hobbit minor works, Mr. Bliss and Roverandom, and how they are not representative of true 1 Tolkienian fairy stories. By examining these earlier works, I also demonstrate Tolkien’s development as a writer. This development is important since it establishes The Hobbit as something more than just bed-time reading for his own children. The Hobbit was more carefully thought-out than its reputation as mere bed-time fantasy allows, and, while originally created for entertainment, The Hobbit was also designed with a greater meaning and purpose than those of Tolkien’s earlier minor works. In the third chapter, I explore the soup ingredients: the literary elements of depth which Tolkien thoughtfully infused into The Hobbit. The soup and its flavour or depth is an important element to consider, because as I discuss in Chapter One, the literary elements which an author infuses into her or his own writing are of the utmost importance in creating a well-crafted Tolkeinian fairy story. Though there are many literary texts which Tolkien drew upon, I focus on the Elder Edda, Beowulf, and the Bible, as they are representative of some of Tolkien’s most significant influences while writing The Hobbit. In the final chapter, I examine The Hobbit as a stand-alone novel, as it was originally intended. I begin by looking at some of the current critical studies on the novel, especially those which focus on Freudian theories, and attempt to show how these studies do not do The Hobbit justice. I also attempt to comment on some of the characters which 2 scholars tend to overlook, such as the Mirkwood elves, and the eagles. Drawing attention to these failings in the current studies of The Hobbit confirms that more critical research must be done. Overall, I will attempt to establish that The Hobbit has been greatly, and wrongly, ignored by scholars in their rush to get to The Lord of the Rings. 3 Chapter 1 True Faërie Tolkien first publically presented his theories on what a fairy story should be in his Andrew Lang lecture at the University of St. Andrews March 11, 1939. In 1947 he formalised his argument and published his critical essay “On Fairy-Stories.” In his essay, Tolkien discusses what does and does not make a good fairy story. In order for a story to be considered an authentic fairy story, it must create a balance between the Primary and Secondary Worlds, present any magical or fantastic elements as truth, embrace a completeness and depth, contain a “eucatastrophic” ending, and impart the unique essence of Faërie unto the reader. Tolkien excludes from fairy stories beast fables and any story which uses dream machinery to explain (or rather explain away) the fantastic. This first chapter will attempt to elucidate Tolkien’s argument and explain why and how it must be used as the primary critical analysis of Tolkien’s own work. Before Tolkien laid out his formula for creating a good fairy story, the predominate theories where those of Max Müller and Andrew Lang. Both men were part of the “age of collectors” when theorists were more concerned with the origins of fairytales than the stories themselves (Flieger, “There Would Always be a Fairy Tale” 28). Müller believed that everything could be traced back to solar phenomenon. Thus, 4 Any time a hero went into a cave or travelled from east to west or died in a battle – that was the sun setting; a hero vanquishing a dragon was the rising sun conquering the night, and so on. … Müller’s philological principle ruled uncontested for nearly a decade before it was … [dethroned by] Andrew Lang. (Flieger, “There Would Always be a Fairy- Tale” 30) Andrew Lang, on the other hand, contested that fairy stories, like humanity, “had evolved culturally from a ‘primitive’ to a ‘civilized’ state;” concluding that children also evolve from a primitive to civilized state led Lang “directly to the concomitant assumption that in a post childhood – that is to say, modern – world, fairy-tales would only, indeed could only, be enjoyed by children” (Flieger, “There Would Always be a Fairy-Tale” 30). Thus, for Lang, fairy-tales were a primitive kind of story, only worthy of children. While both of these theories will come across as preposterous to modern scholars, they were valid and convincing arguments of the late nineteenth century. Therefore, it is important to understand these two major theories of fairytale before we delve into “On Fairy-Stories” because Tolkien disputes and expands on both of these theories. The point that Tolkien most strongly disputes is Andrew Lang’s theory that fairy stories are meant solely for children. The assumption 5 that fairy stories should be especially affiliated with children, according to Tolkien, is an error … by those who … tend to think of children as a special kind of creature, almost a different race, rather than as normal, if immature, members … of the human family at large. … Fairy-stories have … been relegated to the ‘nursery’, as shabby or old-fashioned furniture is relegated to the playroom, primarily because the adults do not want it, and do not mind if it is misused. It is not the choice of children which decides this. (Tolkien, “On Fairy-Stories” 34) Tolkien employed furniture as a metaphor to highlight the fact that adults often give children things which they no longer want. The assumption is that children will damage anything we give them; therefore, it is best not to give them anything of value, be it furniture, or fairytales.