Some Things We Will Be Looking At In Our Analysis Ever watched Lord of the Rings or read the book? If you have, you may have an image of what Mordor, Gondor and the Shire look like or what Frodo, Sauron and Saruman represent? What is ‘the ring’ they seek to find? How much of this trilogy is really fictional? This terms independent learning project will help you decide the extent to which World War 1 and World War 2 helped JRR Tolkien create the map and basic scenario of the plot. Idea One! Conduct some research on Tolkien and produce a timeline which is both informative about his military career and that of a writer. This will help you contextualise his life and assess the reliability of the assertion that his experiences influenced his literary creations.
Idea Two! Look at the map of this mythical land. If you superimposed a map of modern Europe on it, what countries would be in Mordor, Gondor and the Shire? Watch the clips of ‘Shire’ life and the Dead Marshes of Mordor, the approach to Morannon….what do they remind you of? Use the Middle Earth Map on this web page and explore it in detail.
Idea Three! Think about 3 of the key characters in LOTR; Frodo, Sauron and Saruman. Research the leaders of France, Britain, Russia and America in WW1 and WW2. Could you match any of these characters up? Why is Frodo depicted as this smaller, more humble figure? Who do you think he may represent?
Idea Four! Watch the clip of Boromir’s death and pay particular attention to his beautiful, profound speech. Then look at the gallery of WW1 photographs and write a short poem (any style you like) summarising what death would have been like in WW1.
Idea Five! Can you locate anything else within any of the 3 films which may have been inspired by an event during either of the World Wars or afterwards? (Hint: think about ‘the ring’ and what is may symbolise or focus on one key battle)
Main Task
Choosing any format, which you deem most applicable, answer the question, ‘To what extent did WW1 and WW2 help Tolkien to create the map and basic scenario for the plot of LOTR’ Possible ideas include: power point, essay, podcast, webpage, blog, podcast, poster (A2 size) or another of your choice but this must be cleared by your teacher first.