"In a hole in the ground . . . " (11)

Illustration by J.R.R. Tolkien

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort. 

And so begins one of the most beloved books of all time. 

An early review in the New York Post said: "This book will be worn ragged by boys and girls alike. It has immense charm, genuine wit, and dwarfs which put Snow White's boy friends completely in the shade." 

At the same time, a New York Times review said: "One of the most freshly original and delightfully imaginative books for children that has appeared in many a long day...a glorious account of a magnificent adventure, filled with suspense and seasoned with a quiet humor that is irresistible...The tale is packed with valuable hints for the dragon killer and adventurer in Faerie." 

Since that time, of course, many other magnificent books for a similar audience have hit the bookshelves - Harry Potter and Hunger Games to name just a few. 

Does The Hobbit stand out from current children's/Young Adult contemporary favorites in any way? Is this a book that will last through the ages? In addition to being a great narrative work, is it a lasting classic that will be around for the long haul, like The Odyssey and Beowulf? 

I'd like to hear your thoughts about both The Hobbit's literary value and longevity as well as its narrativity. That is, in what unique ways does it function as its own story-telling device?  One example of this can be found in the opening pages: 

The mother of our particular hobbit - what is a hobbit? I suppose hobbits need some description nowadays, since they have become rare and shy of the Big People, as they call us. 

Here the narrative text slips into the role of indiscrete story-teller. We can literally hear Tolkien (or our own grandparent) telling this story to his children (or to us) and stopping in mid-sentence to answer his children's (or our) question. [One of you rightly noticed this on your notecard this week - lovely.] 

So in pithy, Tolkiensian prose, comment on this text's "greatness" (or not, depending on your view) and its "story-tellingness." 

Comments are due by MONDAY 28 NOVEMBER, which is a long ways away. You might want to set a phone alert as a reminder. Happy Thanksgiving!

Þæt wæs gōd cyning! (10)

There is no doubt that Beowulf was a good hero - he killed Grendel (everyone's favorite non-human human); he killed Grendel's mother (though she was perhaps guilty of nothing more than loving and avenging her only son); he killed the dragon (albeit with some help from Wiglaf). 

However, being a good hero is not necessarily the same as being a good king. We know that Scyld Shefing was a good king. We know that Hrothgar was a good king. We know that Heremod was a bad king. We know that Beowulf - in the words of Wiglaf - "worked for the people" and "behaved like a hero" (3006-07) [folcred fremede - ođđe furđer gen /  eorlscipe efnde]. 

But was Beowulf a good king? As we discussed on Friday, this question is not as easy to answer as it might seem. Without merely revisiting the evidence put forth in class, make an original case for whether Beowulf was or was not a good king. Provide some concrete textual evidence and some solid narrative analysis. I doubt whether anyone's answer will be a simple yes or no. Rather, like most people, Beowulf was likely a mix of both good and bad characteristics, a fact which you can acknowledge while still having an opinion.


Posts are due by NOON on WEDNESDAY 16 NOVEMBER.

A perpetual Persuasion (9)

(Blog instructions below)

Here are some notecard highlights of the week:

"Capt. Wentworth is the man."

"Glad this book is over just because Mary gives me anxiety and raises my blood pressure."

"At this point I am just waiting for Mary to lose her voice."

"The letter from Wentworth to Anne makes the whole book worth it."

"I love Captain Wentworth's letter to Anne...I wish it was addressed to me instead."

"Wentworth is the first likable person in the book. He's going to die, isn't he."

"BEST LOVE LETTER EVER!!"

And now for this week's post, due Friday at class, worth 25 blog points and up to 35 quiz points (remember: 25 bp does not necessarily = 35 qp).

Find a phrase, a moment, or a scene in Persuasion and compare it to a parallel phrase, moment, or single scene in any of our 3 previous texts. This comparison must be focused, articulate, and substantive.

For example, on the bottom of page 148, Anne recalls the events at Lyme and says, "The last few hours were certainly very painful, but when pain is over, the remembrance of it often becomes a pleasure. One does not love a place the less for having suffered in it, unless it has been all suffering."

This parallels Hyoi's statement in OSP that "a pleasure is only full grown when it is remembered" (74), though in an inverted fashion: Hyoi begins with pleasure and ends with memory while Anne begins with memory and ends with pleasure. Of course, OSP is referring to joyous events while Anne is referring to tragic events. And yet they both come to the same conclusion - that memory plays an important role in "completing" life's moments. Ransom experienced tragic things on both earth and Malacandra but he loved them both and had fond memories of both because neither was defined solely by suffering. And one could reasonably assume that though Anne would probably love to reclaim the 8 years she lost with Wentworth, still the memory of his passionate letter to her and their subsequent reunion will provide her with deep, long-lasting pleasure that she would likely not trade for the world.

After introducing the two comparative elements (in brief, and citations please), provide some analysis and commentary. Does the parallel surprise you? Does it enrich either or both of the texts? What might we say about the presence of these similar moments in such diverse texts? Please don't try to answer all of these questions. They're simply some optional launching pads, though you are also welcome to consider your own analytical question(s).

Length: half to full single spaced page (1" margins, 12 pt font, name and date at top)

Due: hard copy at beginning of Friday's class / blog comment AFTER class