Well, I’m Back: Samwise Gamgee and the Future of Tolkien’s Literary Pastoral

This article examines the treatment of the literary pastoral in The Lord of the Rings in order to demonstrate that Tolkien's pastoral, often considered a vestige of authorial nostalgia, is as forward-looking as it is wistful. Through Samwise Gamgee and his connection to the Shire, Tolkien prese...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Mythlore 2022-09, Vol.41 (1), p.219-235
Main Author: Prezioso, MG
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Criticism and interpretation
Forecasts and trends
Influence
Market trend/market analysis
Novelists
Pastoral literature
Tolkien, J.R.R
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:This article examines the treatment of the literary pastoral in The Lord of the Rings in order to demonstrate that Tolkien's pastoral, often considered a vestige of authorial nostalgia, is as forward-looking as it is wistful. Through Samwise Gamgee and his connection to the Shire, Tolkien presents a pastoral that, though rooted in memory, is as mutable as nature itself--one that orients the reader forward and conveys that change is not only something to be accepted, but also embraced.
ISSN:0146-9339