Death as a gift : a heroic celebration of life in The Lord of the Rings
department or school: Creative and Critical Studies, Faculty of (Okanagan)
data provider: DSpace
degree campus: UBCO
creator: Mirzabayati, Ali
issued: 2024-12-20T21:36:38Z
issued: 2024
related degree: Master of Arts - MA
degree grantor: University of British Columbia
description: This thesis explores contrasting perceptions of death among Men in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, focusing on the characters Théoden and Denethor in The Lord of the Rings. Central to this study is Ilúvatar’s Gift of mortality, which paradoxically shortens human life while inspiring a yearning for transcendence beyond the physical world. This research examines how Men’s understanding of their free will and connection to larger cosmic forces influence their views of death as either a gift or a curse. Although scholars, including Tom Shippey, Amy Amendt-Raduege, and Majorie Burns, have examined Théoden’s and Denethor’s differing attitudes, this thesis offers a more comprehensive view by analyzing The Silmarillion, The Fall of Númenor, and Morgoth’s Ring alongside Tolkien’s letters. This approach reveals new insights into Tolkien's portrayal of mortality, addressing gaps in existing scholarship. The second chapter reviews death narratives in Arda, showing how Men’s interactions with Elves and divine entities shape their cultural attitudes toward mortality. Building on Anna Vaninskaya’s discussion in Fantasies of Time and Death, this chapter refines overlooked elements of death as a gift. The third chapter delves into Denethor’s despair, framing his fear of death within the context of melancholy as explored in Beowulf and analyzed by F. Anne Payne and Ruth Wehlau. The fourth chapter traces Théoden’s transformation from despair to hope, framing his acceptance of mortality as a source of fulfillment. Comparing Théoden’s journey to Niggle’s in “Leaf by Niggle,” the study explores how embracing mortality offers a path to heroic glory. The fifth chapter contrasts Théoden’s and Denethor’s responses to the loss of their sons, using Freud’s “Mourning and Melancholia” to examine their grief as healthy mourning versus pathological melancholia. Ultimately, this thesis argues that Men’s contrasting attitudes toward Ilúvatar’s Gift—acceptance exemplified by Théoden's heroic death an…
aggregated CHO: https://circle.library.ubc.ca/rest/handle/2429/89965
note: Death as a Gift: A Heroic Celebration of Life in The Lord of the Rings by Ali Mirzabayati A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in The College of Graduate Studies (English) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Okanagan) December 2024 © Ali Mirzabayati, 2024 ii The following individuals certify that they have read, and recommend to the College of Graduate Studies for acceptance, the thesis entitled: Death as a Gift: A Heroic Celebration of Life in The Lord of the Rings submitted by Ali Mirzabayati in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts. Dr. Michael Treschow, Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies Supervisor Dr. Jon Vickery, Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies Supervisory Committee Member Dr. Sean Lawrence, Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies Supervisory Committee Member Dr. Geoffrey Sigalet, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences University Examiner iii Abstract This thesis explores contrasting perceptions of death among Men in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, focusing on the characters Théoden and Denethor in The Lord of the Rings. Central to this study is Ilúvatar’s Gift of mortality, which paradoxically shortens human life while inspiring a yearning for transcendence beyond the physical world. This research examines how Men’s understanding of their free will and connection to larger cosmic forces influence their views of death as either a gift or a curse. Although scholars, including Tom Shippey, Amy Amendt-Raduege, and Majorie Burns, have examined Théoden’s and Denethor’s differing attitudes, this thesis offers a more comprehensive view by analyzing The Silmarillion, The Fall of Númenor, and Morgoth’s Ring alongside Tolkien’s letters. This approach reveals new insights into Tolkien's portrayal of mortality, addressing gaps in existing scholarship. The second chapter reviews death narratives in Arda, showing how Men’s interactions with Elves and di…
has type: Thesis/Dissertation
date issued: 2025-02
is shown at: 10.14288/1.0447596
language: eng
degree discipline: English
provider: Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
publisher: University of British Columbia
rights: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
rights URI: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
scholar level: Graduate
contributor: Treschow, Michael
type: Text
identifier URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/89965