LANGUAGE IN INDIA Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow Volume 14:1 January 2014 ISSN 1930-2940 Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D. Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D. Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D. B. A. Sharada, Ph.D. A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D. Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D. Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D. S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D. G. Baskaran, Ph.D. L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D. C. Subburaman, Ph.D. (Economics) Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A. ARCHETYPES IN FANTASY FICTION: A STUDY OF J. R. R.TOLKIEN AND J. K. ROWLING Dr. Shobha Ramaswamy, M.A., B.Ed., DCE, M.Phil., Ph.D. Assistant Professor of English Kongunadu Arts & Science College (Autonomous) Coimbatore-641029 Tamilnadu, India [email protected] A Publication of Language in India www.languageinindia.com [email protected] Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 14:1 January 2014 Dr. Shobha Ramaswamy, M.A., B.Ed., DCE, M.Phil., Ph.D. Archetypes in Fantasy Fiction: A Study of J. R. R. Tolkien and J. K. Rowling i <402-670> ARCHETYPES IN FANTASY FICTION: A STUDY OF J.R.R.TOLKIEN AND J.K.ROWLING Thesis submitted to the Bharathiar University, Coimbatore in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English Submitted by SHOBHA RAMASWAMY Under the Supervision of Dr. R. POONGOTHAI, M.A., M.A., Ph.D. DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH KONGUNADU ARTS AND SCIENCE COLLEGE (AUTONOMOUS) COIMBATORE – 641 029 INDIA February 2010 Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 14:1 January 2014 Dr. Shobha Ramaswamy, M.A., B.Ed., DCE, M.Phil., Ph.D. Archetypes in Fantasy Fiction: A Study of J. R. R. Tolkien and J. K. Rowling ii <402-670> Declaration I, Ms. Shobha Ramaswamy hereby declare that the thesis, entitled “Archetypes in Fantasy Fiction: A Study of J.R.R. Tolkien and J.K.Rowling” submitted to the Bharathiar University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English is a record of original and independent research work done by me during the period 2006 to 2010 under the Supervision and Guidance of Dr. R. Poongothai, M.A., M.A., Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of English, Kongunadu Arts and Science College, Coimbatore and it has not formed the basis for the award of any Degree / Diploma /Associateship / Fellowship or other similar title to any candidate in any University. Signature of the Candidate Shobha Ramaswamy Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 14:1 January 2014 Dr. Shobha Ramaswamy, M.A., B.Ed., DCE, M.Phil., Ph.D. Archetypes in Fantasy Fiction: A Study of J. R. R. Tolkien and J. K. Rowling iii <402-670> Certificate This is to certify that the thesis entitled “Archetypes in Fantasy Fiction: A Study of J. R. R.Tolkien and J. K. Rowling” submitted to the Bharathiar University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English is a record of original research work done by Ms. Shobha Ramaswamy during the period 2006 to 2010 of her research in the Department of English at Kongunadu Arts and Science College, Coimbatore under my supervision and guidance and the thesis has not formed the basis for the award of any Degree / Diploma / Associateship/ Fellowship or other similar title of any candidate of any university. Signature of the Guide Dr. R. Poongothai Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 14:1 January 2014 Dr. Shobha Ramaswamy, M.A., B.Ed., DCE, M.Phil., Ph.D. Archetypes in Fantasy Fiction: A Study of J. R. R. Tolkien and J. K. Rowling iv <402-670> Preface Journeying along the road of fantasy fiction is an enlightening and elevating experience for a scholarly mind which hankers after the universals in literature. Deciding to take up research along these lines, my choice of authors fell on J.R.R. Tolkien, the architect of the modern fantasy novel, and on J. K. Rowling, its most widely-read practitioner. Tolkien’s vast multicultural canvas with its underpinnings of myth, legend and inherent tone of spirituality has an enormous appeal for me, belonging as I do to the Indian subcontinent which carries its own precious burden of myth, legend and history. What drew me to Rowling was the sheer readability of her books and the importance given to the perennial values of friendship, loyalty and fair play. I share her concerns with current issues such as racism and terrorism. Huge popularity not only raises author and book to legendary heights; it is often an indicator of the presence of myth and archetype; and study in this area is generally fruitful. It is on basis of this assumption that I, like Tolkien’s Frodo, leave the safe confines of the Shire of conventional literature to venture forth on the Road which leads to the brave new secondary world of fantasy. Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 14:1 January 2014 Dr. Shobha Ramaswamy, M.A., B.Ed., DCE, M.Phil., Ph.D. Archetypes in Fantasy Fiction: A Study of J. R. R. Tolkien and J. K. Rowling v <402-670> Acknowledgements Before laying forth the results of my scholarly venture, I wish to express my gratitude to many. First of all, I thank the Lord Almighty and also my mother for their grace and blessings in enabling me to successfully complete my thesis. I owe an immense debt of gratitude to my guide, Dr. R. Poongothai, Associate Professor, Department of English, Kongunadu Arts and Science College, Coimbatore, for the amazing care, concern, kindness and invaluable guidance showered on me during the period of her supervision. Her human touch, wonderful energy and enthusiasm in addition to her extraordinary academic acumen and unparalleled research expertise have been a source of inspiration to me. I am deeply grateful to Dr. M. Aruchami, Secretary and Director, Kongunadu Arts and Science College, for the congenial atmosphere provided by the institution for undertaking research. I also respectfully acknowledge my gratitude to the Principal, Dr. A. A. Sivakumar, the Dean, Self-Finance, Dr. R. Dhanalakshmi and the Dean, Research and Development, Dr. Devi for their encouragement. I express my heartfelt thanks to Dr. Diwakar Thomas, Associate Professor and Head, Department of English (PG), for seeing me through this crucial period with his unfailing help and support. He has been the philosopher, advisor and acknowledged master to whom I could turn when assailed by the doubts and dilemmas that are the inevitable lot of the scholar stepping into a relatively new area. I wish to thank Dr. R. Shantakumari, Associate Professor and Head, Department of English, for her timely suggestions and interest evinced throughout the entire period of my research. I also extend my sincere gratitude to my colleagues in the Department of English Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 14:1 January 2014 Dr. Shobha Ramaswamy, M.A., B.Ed., DCE, M.Phil., Ph.D. Archetypes in Fantasy Fiction: A Study of J. R. R. Tolkien and J. K. Rowling vi <402-670> (PG) and to my seniors in the Department of English (Aided) for helping me at various vital junctures. With regard to the collection of material, I acknowledge with gratitude the help rendered by the Librarians of the British Council Library, Chennai, Bharathiar University Library, Nirmala College for Women, Coimbatore and the Library and Information Centre of Kongunadu Arts and Science College. I sincerely thank Mr. Anto Thomas, President, Children’s Literature Association India, Trichur. I also thank my niece, Ms. Sujatha Raj of New York City for providing me with valuable secondary sources. I should specially like to thank Mr. M. Rajkumar, student of II MACA, Kongunadu Arts and Science College, Coimbatore, for unstintingly letting me have the use of his laptop when my own computer failed at a crucial juncture. Above all, I thank my late father, Mr. K. Ramaswamy, who instilled in me the love of literature and whose dream it was that I should pursue research at the doctoral level in the field which was dear to him. Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 14:1 January 2014 Dr. Shobha Ramaswamy, M.A., B.Ed., DCE, M.Phil., Ph.D. Archetypes in Fantasy Fiction: A Study of J. R. R. Tolkien and J. K. Rowling vii <402-670> Abstract Fantasy can be described as an internally coherent story dealing with events and worlds which are impossible. Though the roots of fantasy go down to myth, it was in the late nineteenth century that modern fantasy began to take shape. The turbulent years of the twentieth century threw up a stream of traumatized writers, some of whom turned to the fantasy genre to find meaningful answers to the question of existence. J. R. R.Tolkien, the British academician, writer and critic lay down the ground rules of modern fantasy in the mid twentieth century. His three-part novel of epic dimensions, The Lord of the Rings is a milestone in the history of fantasy fiction. It narrates the story of the destruction of the Ring of Power, originally owned by the evil Sauron. The mission is entrusted to Frodo, who belongs to the race of “little men” known as hobbits. In the final conflict between the forces of good and evil, the Ring is ‘unmade” and Sauron falls, but only after considerable hardship and sacrifice. Tolkien invests his work of “high fantasy” with a medieval atmosphere, tinged with religious overtones. The popularity of The Lord of the Rings was remarkable and unforeseen, earning Tolkien a faithful following of all ages and climes.