Stylistic Choices in the Portrayal of Female Characters in Lord of the Rings

Being J. R. R. Tolkien’s most celebrated work, The Lord of the Rings has been subject to a myriad of academic studies and analyses regarding both its language and its contents. For instance, scholars such as Provost have studied how the language elucidates the central conflict. Additionally, Agøy and Drout have examined the story’s themes through its stylistic attributes, as well as the general aesthetic effects of these stylistic choices. Meanwhile, feminist readings like those of Enright and Green discuss the number and roles of female characters in the books, countering common criticisms that their paucity betrays Tolkien’s supposed sexist stance. However, the language and contents of the trilogy have yet to be combined into a single systematic study, which is where this thesis comes in. Using the stylistic approach to Politeness Theory (Brown and Levinson), Speech-Act Theory (Searle), and keynoting (Carter and Nash), this thesis will examine the text surrounding female...Show moreBeing J. R. R. Tolkien’s most celebrated work, The Lord of the Rings has been subject to a myriad of academic studies and analyses regarding both its language and its contents. For instance, scholars such as Provost have studied how the language elucidates the central conflict. Additionally, Agøy and Drout have examined the story’s themes through its stylistic attributes, as well as the general aesthetic effects of these stylistic choices. Meanwhile, feminist readings like those of Enright and Green discuss the number and roles of female characters in the books, countering common criticisms that their paucity betrays Tolkien’s supposed sexist stance. However, the language and contents of the trilogy have yet to be combined into a single systematic study, which is where this thesis comes in. Using the stylistic approach to Politeness Theory (Brown and Levinson), Speech-Act Theory (Searle), and keynoting (Carter and Nash), this thesis will examine the text surrounding female characters in an attempt to reveal how stylistic choices affect their presentation. By focussing on stylistic choices, this study aims to clarify how the characters are portrayed, which may not be as obvious from their actions or their role in the plot. This way, this study explores whether the criticism of too few bland female characters in The Lord of the Rings holds true by examining how language contributes to nuances in their characterization.Show less

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Stylistic Choices in the Portrayal of Female Characters in Lord of the Rings