THE HOBBIT DEUS EX MACHINA & EUCATASTROPHE LEARNING OBJECTIVES • Text-to-text • Text-to-world • Text-to-self Sources: Fluit, Chris. “Eucatastrophe.” 2008. Olsen, Corey. Exploring J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. 2012. Rahel, Julie. Tolkien’s Eucatastrophe. 2013. Tolkien, J.R.R. “On Fairy Stories.” 1947. INTERACTIVE NOTEBOOK PAGE 21 TITLE: Deus ex machina Deus ex machina – god from the machine Refers to ancient Greek theater A god is mechanically brought on stage to resolve the plot The hero is saved from doom Viewed negatively Strains suspension of disbelief INTERACTIVE NOTEBOOK PAGE 25 TITLE: Suspension of Disbelief Samuel L. Coleridge, Biographia Literaria (1817) “…My endeavours should be directed to persons and characters supernatural, or at least romantic, yet so as to transfer from our inward nature a human interest and a semblance of truth sufficient to procure for these shadows of imagination that willing suspension of disbelief for the moment, which constitutes poetic faith.” DEUS EX MACHINA: EXAMPLES MacGuyver The Wizard of Oz Spongebob Squarepants Movie INTERACTIVE NOTEBOOK PAGE 23 TITLE: Eucatastrophe Eucatastrophe: good catastrophe Greek eu (good) and catastrophe (destruction) More than a happy ending A sudden, joyous “turn” in the story A miraculous grace Does not deny existence of sorrow and failure Does deny universal, final defeat Gives a fleeting glimpse of Joy EUCATASTROPHE: EXAMPLE C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe The arrival of Father Christmas DEUS EX MACHINA & EUCATASTROPHE SIMILARITIES Sudden Unexpected Miraculous Happy Ending INTERACTIVE NOTEBOOK PAGE 19 TITLE: Deus ex machina vs Eucatastrophe Deus ex machina Eucatastrophe Unbelievable Believable Doesn’t fit with the story Fits with the story Comes from the outside From within the story Happy ending - neatly ties Happy ending - mixed with loose ends sorrow and failure Hope is not a factor Hope prevails Artificial, random, forced Natural part of the story Similarities Sudden Unexpected Miraculous Happy Ending TOLKIEN’S ESSAY “ON FAIRY STORIES” There is no true end to any fairy-story. “Redeemed Man is still man. Story, fantasy still go on, and should go on…The Christian has still to work, with mind as well as body, to suffer, hope, and die” (Tolkien 13). TOLKIEN’S ESSAY “ON FAIRY STORIES” The peculiar quality of the ”joy” in successful Fantasy can thus be explained as a sudden glimpse of the underlying reality or truth. It is not only a “consolation” for the sorrow of this world, but a satisfaction, and an answer to that question, “Is it true?” I would venture to say that approaching the Christian Story from this direction, it has long been my feeling (a joyous feeling) that God redeemed the corrupt making-creatures, men. The Gospels contain a fairy- story, or a story of a larger kind which embraces all the essence of fairy-stories. They contain many… and among the marvels is the greatest and most complete conceivable eucatastrophe. The Birth of Christ is the eucatastrophe of Man's history. The Resurrection is the eucatastrophe of the story of the Incarnation. This story begins and ends in joy. GROUP DISCUSSION John 16:22 Romans 12:12 2 Corinthians 7:4 2 Corinthians 8:2 1 Thessalonians 1:6 James 1:2 John 16:33 What is the relationship between joy and suffering? ANCHOR CHART TITLE: EUCATASTROPHE According to the Bible, what is the relationship between joy and suffering? Provide 3 bullet points According to Tolkien, why is eucatastrophe the mark of a good fairy-story? (Use your I.N.s!) Provide 3 bullet points Deus ex machina Provide an example from a recent movie, book, tv show, etc..