Unsung Heroes of The Lord of the Rings: From the Page to the Screen

(Hardback)

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Description

Most writing about The Lord of the Rings trilogy emphasizes the most likely heroes in the tales: Aragorn, Frodo, Gandalf, and even Sam. From popular to scholarly literature, the women and "smaller" characters often go overlooked. But sometimes the most unlikely people can come to embody all that we look up to and admire in a person. Here, Lynnette Porter examines what we mean when we talk about heroes, and for the first time illustrates the heroic qualities that can be found in the women and other beloved, though less celebrated, characters in the Lord of the Rings books and movies. She takes a critical look at the importance of literary and cinematic heroes in general, emphasizing the roles of Merry, Pippin, Galadriel, Eowyn, Arwen, Legolas, and Gimli, who can all be considered heroes despite their relatively smaller roles. She shows, ultimately, that our attraction to and celebration of heroes does not have to be limited to the "leading man," but rather that women and youth often display essential characteristics of true heroes. Bringing together a discussion of both the books and the movies, Porter redirects the spotlight on these characters to show us how the roles they play, the actions they take, and the behaviours they display are worthy of our praise and admiration. This unique and refreshing perspective adds dimension to our understanding of The Lord of the Rings phenomenon.

Reviews

[P]orter's style is clear and engaging. Large undergraduate and general collections. * Choice *
Porter examines the intricacies of modern human expectations for heroes and myths, and how those complex emotions influence what we read under the covers with a flashlight as opposed to what we see from the unlikely heroes, the minor characters who catch our attention and earn our admiration because they embody some aspect of heroism, such as the character of Merry as the knowledgeable hero, Pippen as the youthful, impulsive hero, Eowyn as the action hero, and so on, and how we seek out those characters who embody what we sense we have, or lack, in ourselves. * Reference & Research Book News *
[S]hows a good grasp of available criticism in both academic and popular publications.The best feature of this book, I think is that, contra the lamentably common view that Tolkien relied primarily on types for his characterization, Porter shows how well he thought out their individual personalities. * Tolkien Studies *

Author Bio

Lynnette R. Porter is Professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, where she teaches Honors Literature and Humanities. She is the author of three other books.