INSTRUCTORS:
What similar ideas did Lewis and Tolkien explore? How are they similar in the exploration of these ideas? How are they different?
C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien are two of the pillars of modern fantasy, and their friendship is well known. Despite the fact that the two authors are so frequently associated with each other, however, their works are rarely examined closely together. In this class, we will engage in a careful comparison of Lewis’s and Tolkien’s fiction, paying close attention to those moments when they are both exploring similar ideas or undertaking comparable literary enterprises. What do these two authors really share in common, and where do their primary differences lie?
Course Schedule
This course includes two pre-recorded 90-minute lectures per week with one 60-minute discussion session as assigned.
Week 1 – Literary Theories
Myth and Storytelling
Week 2 – Introduction to Fantasy I
The Hobbit
Week 3 – Introduction to Fantasy II
The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe
Week 4 – Perilous Realms
- “Smith of Wootton Major”
- The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Week 5 – Myths Revisited Ia
Till We Have Faces
Week 6 – Myths Revisited Ib
Till We Have Faces
Week 7 – Myths Revisited II
“The Lost Road” and “The Notion Club Papers”
Week 8 – Cosmogony
“Ainulindale” and The Magician’s Nephew
Week 9 – The Fall I
Perelandra
Week 10 – The Fall II
- Quenta Silmarillion, Chapters 7-9
- “Akallabeth”
Week 11 – Eschatology I
- “Leaf by Niggle”
- “Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth”
Week 12 – Eschatology II
The Last Battle
Required Texts
The Amazon links are provided for convenience only, and we encourage students to purchase the text wherever they wish.
- Of Other Worlds – C.S. Lewis
- The Tolkien Reader – J.R.R. Tolkien
- The Hobbit – J.R.R. Tolkien
- The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – C.S. Lewis
- The Magician’s Nephew – C.S. Lewis
- The Silmarillion – J.R.R. Tolkien
- The Last Battle – C.S. Lewis
- Perelandra – C.S. Lewis
- Till We Have Faces – C.S. Lewis
- The Lost Road and Other Writings – J.R.R. Tolkien and Christopher Tolkien
- The Voyage of The Dawn Treader – C.S. Lewis
- Smith of Wooton Major & Farmer Giles of Ham – J.R.R. Tolkien
- Sauron Defeated – J.R.R. Tolkien
Optional Texts
- An Experiment in Criticism – C.S. Lewis
- The Chronicles of Narnia (boxed set) – C.S. Lewis
- The Chronicles of Narnia (audiobooks) – C.S. Lewis
Course History
This course has been offered in the following semesters.
| Semester | Preceptor(s) |
|---|---|
| Fall 2024 | Dr. Sara Brown |
| Spring 2020 | Liam Daley & Brenton Dickieson |
| Spring 2017 | Dr. David Russell Mosley |
| Fall 2014 | Sørina Higgins & Liam Daley |
| Spring 2012 | Dr. Faith Acker & Liam Daley |
Course Artwork
Course artwork adapted from an original illustration by Drew Blom. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
