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Dive into what some call the greatest books of the 20th century — JRR Tolkien’s masterpieces of epic fiction: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Enjoy in-depth examination, analysis, and meaning for the believer, in this two-part literature series for high school students.
Total Classes: 12
Duration: 45 minutes Middle School / 55 minutes High School
Prerequisite: None
Suggested grade level: 9th to 12th grade
Suggested credit: 1 full semester credit Literature or Modern Literature
Description
Considered by many to be the greatest books of the 20th century, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are JRR Tolkien’s masterpieces of epic fiction. Over the course of two semesters, we will examine The Hobbit and the three books of The Lord of the Rings in depth. We will answer the questions
- What are the Christian elements in these stories?
- How does this saga show us how to combat sin and be heroic in our own lives?
- What are the deeper meanings and symbols in Tolkien’s overall mythology?
- How did Tolkien himself view his own work?
- Why did he call The Lord of the Rings “a fundamentally religious and Catholic work”?
This course will be a complete immersion in the beauty and mystery of Middle Earth. And it will be a real adventure! We will rely not only on the texts of the books themselves, but also on supplementary material, such as selections from The Letters of JRR Tolkien and The Silmarillion. Join Bilbo and Frodo on an epic adventure of classes that you won’t want to miss!
Outline
Each week we will read and study our ways through these books! We will study The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring in the first semester; The Two Towers & The Return of the King in the second semester.
Materials and Homework
Course Materials: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien (any edition). Additional material provided as PDF files by the instructor.
Homework: Weekly quizzes. This will be a challenging course – but fun! Plan on about two hours of homework outside of the classroom per week.
