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Chris Hair - Final

Terms in this set (34)

Using examples from The Lord of the Rings, explain why some critics have accused Tolkien of racism. Then explain whether you agree or disagree with this charge and why (use specific examples from lord of the rings)
Response: In a private letter, Tolkien describes orcs from LOR as: "squat, broad, flat-nosed, sallow-skinned, with wide mouths and slant eyes'' It's hard to miss the implications here of who Tolkien was depicting as the monstrous beings given the war-time it was written in. While I agree that this was explicitly biased, depicting the race of the "orcs" and enemies; I believe that it's also explicit that in Lord of the Rings, Middle-Earth is a place where different "races" need to come together and cooperate to triumph over what is predominantly a moral foe.
What is a "fairy story" according to Tolkien on "on Fairy Stories"
Response: Tolkien suggests that fairy stories allow the reader to review his own world from the "perspective" of a different world. According to Tolkien, A "fairy story" is one which touches on or uses Faerie, whatever its own main purpose may be: satire, adventure, morality, fantasy."
Explain what Tolkien means by the following terms: sub creator, Secondary World, Eucatastrophe.
Response: Sub Creator is a reference to the process of world-building and creating myths. Because we were created, we create. Secondary World is a reference to a consistent, fictional world or setting, created by a man. Eucatastrophe is the idea of a sudden and unexpected "happy ending" coming out of bad.
What two roles does Parish play in "Leaf by Niggle"? Explain the need for Parish
Response: 1. A parish, in biblical terms, is an area in which a Christian clergyman is "responsible" for. That is EXACTLY what Parish is for Niggle, Niggle has a responsibility to minister to Parish, despite his selfish desire to continue painting in solitude. 2. Through Parish, Niggle sees that practical knowledge does have its beauty and its uses
In what ways could "Leaf by Niggle" be considered an extension of "On Fairy Stories"
Response: Leaf by Niggle could be considered an extension of "On Fairy Stories" from it's description of sub creations. Niggle, who was created by God, sub-created a canvas picture of a "great tree." This extends because God created Niggle
Is Niggle to be blamed for his obsession with painting, an obsession that causes him to treat visitors as distractions? Why or why not?
Response: Niggle cannot control his obsession with the painting, the only thing he can control are his actions and what he does with his time. His decision to look at visitors as distractions is an action and mindset that can be altered.
Using examples from The Chronicles of Narnia, explain why some critics have accused Lewis of sexism. Then explain whether you agree or disagree with this charge and why
Response: Some critics will argue that Lewis is Sexist because of the roles Lucy and Susan play. I agree that C.S. Lewis DOES have very rigid ideas of Gender Roles. This can be seen when Father Christmas visits and Peter is given a sword, while Susan is given a bow and arrow (only to be used in dire need, because she is not intended to fight) and Lucy is given a healing potion, which is a traditional female stereotype. .
Using specific examples from the work, explain the relationship of the primary and the secondary worlds in the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
The secondary world is a mirroring of the primary world (the world that the Pevensie children AND the readers are born into). It, however, is fantastical and full of magic whilst working on a different time schedule.
Explain the concept of "deeper magic" in the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. What do you think Lewis is trying to show through this idea?
Response:. :deeper magic = Christ crucifixion
Deeper magic is a higher power in the chronicles, working beyond the characters and is literally set in stone. It seems as if Lewis is presenting readers here with a depiction of the Holy Spirit and the promise of Christ and his promise of death, resurrection, and salvation
Explain the complicated role magic plays in the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. What might it represent? Explain with textual support.
Magic is a great tool used throughout the book, but it is complicated due to the fact that it is on both and evil's side. I think it is a tool to teach children about the battle of the spirit. This is shown in the TLTWTW when the witch uses magic to turn things into stone and stalling their lives but Aslan breathes and releases them. This is a good example because it shows though evil does have power the good will overcome it.
What is the relationship of childhood and adulthood in the lion the witch and the wardrobe? Is it better to be a grown up or a child? Explain and support
Response: Lewis is essentially saying that children are sort of better than adults. They haven't lost their ability to be imaginative and creative the way adults have. In TLTWTW, this is shown by the exclusion of adults into Narnia.
Is Father Christmas a natural narnian? We discussed whether he was an intrusion from the primary world that doesn't belong there, but Lewis suggests Father Christmas is actually an intrusion from the secondary world into the primary. Discuss
Yes, I believe Lewis presenting Father Christmas as a Narnian. I think his magic was a magic of hope and the white witch banished him so that there was no hope that the winter would pass and the people would survive. When he came back into the world his magic of hope did as well.
Explain what Aslan means when he says to Emmet, "Child, all the service though has done to Tash I account as service done to me." What do you think about the theological implications of this statement
It seems as if this is implying that though many other religions practice good works God may count them as done to him. That there is no way a false spirit or God could fully have any good but if it is done with a full heart looking for God it possibly could count as being done for the true God.
Explain why Susan is left out of the end of the last battle. What meaning can be derived from this?
The book says that Susan is no longer a friend of Narnia, and that she prefers material things and parties. Meaning that Susan has grown away from faith and could not return to Narnia with her siblings.
How does Lewis describe hell in the great divorce? What is the significance of this description in terms of how the current residents of hell view themselves?
Lewis draws out a hell that is boring, repetitive, and meaningless. This contrasts strongly with how most people see it (think brimstone, fire, torture, and screaming). Some of the people in Hell are creatives but they have lost their spark that heaven can provide, and are instead unable to create great works anymore.
Lewis writes in Mere Christianity, "Do not waste time bothering whether you 'love' your neighbor; act as if you did" (110). Explain why Lewis thinks this is the right approach to issues of love and Christian Behavior.
Lewis chooses to take the Golden Rule literally here. Thus, he advises his readers to love other people without affection or desire, but simply because they're human beings. Christ wanted people to forgive one another, even as they fought sinful behavior.
Explain Lewis' metaphor of the "infection" (The Good Infection) that runs throughout Book four of Mere Christianity.
Actions have an effect like catching a good infection. The spark of God grows in Christians until it takes over the Christian. The Christian becomes a little Christ. Lewis states that to be any other way than Christian is to wither and die, whereas becoming a little Christ ensures eternal life.
Discuss two different kinds or forms of Love in Till we have Faces. What is the effect of these different kinds of love on the characters?
Need‐love is the idea that we are born helpless, and we need people physically, emotionally, and intellectually. Gift‐love, on the other hand, is love that is given with nothing in return. When a mother holds her son, she is showing a Need‐love. When a father works on the farm to pay for his son's college education, he is showing Gift‐love.
What does the One Ring reveal about the identity of the person who possesses or desires it?
Response: Created by the evil Sauron, it is at first synonymous with its maker's evil power. Those who encounter the ring are overcome with longing for power over others, and the ring could give more power to Sauron. For all, the ring suggests the dangerous urges that lurk even in the most pure-hearted beings of Middle-earth. It also suggests slavery and weakness, since whoever gives in to the temptation of the ring becomes a slave to it. Gollum is an example of what happens physically when one succumbs to the ring.
Discuss one set of doubles (foils) in Return of the King. What does Tolkien reveal by pairing these characters?
Response: in The Return of the King, King Théoden and Lord Denethor represent obvious character doubles. Tolkien emphasizes their doubled nature by alternating chapters devoted to Théoden and Denethor in Book V. When we meet them, both rulers are destitute, brought down by the influence of evil in their respective realms.
In a more profound way, Frodo and Gollum function as doubles as well, embodying the two opposite consequences of bearing the Ring. Both are small, but Gollum is smaller—a shriveled, black, and dirty version of a Hobbit. In one sense, they are opponents, united only by Frodo's mercy and forbearance. In another sense, Frodo and Gollum are one and the same. Gollum represents Frodo's id or inner self—the portion of Frodo that yearns for the Ring.
Discuss the role of Eowyn in Return of the king. Is she a positive depiction of the female? Explain and support.
Eowyn gives women agency and showcases their strength, their ability to perform as well as men in battle (if not, apparently better). Tolkien is often accused of not featuring enough women in his works, but when he does feature them, he really delivers. While Tolkien might celebrate Eowyn's prowess in battle, he also seems to condemn her naïve longing for bloodshed
What role does the Ginger cat play in The Last Battle? Explain what he does and what he may represent. Explain with specific evidence from the text
The Ginger plays an important role as an advisor to the Ape but he does not like the Ape, it is a means to an end for him. He does believe in Tash or Aslan and he really is just using the whole ordeal to feed his curiosity and power. It seems as if the cat could symbolize people who participate in religion out of the need to have power but no belief. They are empty.
What is Lewis commenting on with the dwarves (who make it through the door) in the Last Battle? What might they represent? Explain with specific evidence from the text.
They made it through the door to Aslan's Land and yet could not see, trapped in a prison of their own mind. They seem as if they lost their faith and their lack of faith is holding them back from enjoying the beauty of Aslan's Land. This could represent the Jews and their refusal to see Christ.
In what ways is the Journey of the King symbolic?
Aragorn takes the path of death to call upon old debts. This is a piece of Christ imagery in three ways: One in the way he goes through the path of death to symbolize the death and resurrection of Christ or the symbolism of the power of God to raise the dead and lastly it could symbolize Christ return to call us back from our death to fight for him in the Last Battle.
If Return of the King is not Christian Allegory, what is it? What Christian messages are communicated and how?
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What do the differences in the size of the creatures of Return of the King reveal?
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In the preface to the great divorce, Luis States " I think Earth if chosen instead of heaven will turn out to have been all along only a region in hell and Earth if a second to heaven to have been from the beginning of a part of Heaven itself." give an example of how this idea Works itself out in Lewis' great divorce and then briefly discuss the implications of this idea on how one views our relationship to this world.
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In the Great Divorce, MacDonald explains, "There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God 'Thy will be done' and those whom God say, in the end, 'Thy will be done.' All that are in hell choose it." What does Luis mean through MacDonald? In what way do the damned choose hell ?
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In the great divorce, after the episode concerning Pam and her desire for her son, MacDonald reflects on love: "love, as mortals understand the word, isn't enough. Every natural love will rise again and live forever in thise country: but none will rise again until it has been buried." What does it mean that natural love has to die in order to rise and live forever in heaven? Explain and you may use the example of Pam and her son or another example
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Explain how Lewis uses the theme of veils (and mirrors) in Till we have faces. What do these veils represent in the story, and what are the possible larger implications?
Orual's veil represents her tendency to hide a part of her, not only from others, but also from herself. The King initially forces her to wear a veil to his wedding to hide her ugliness. Later, she decides to permanently don a veil after Psyche's exile. This act undermines the King's power over her, as she voluntarily hides her ugliness, and when he commands her to remove the veil, she refuses in her first act of defiance against him.
One could argue that the main theme of "Till we have faces" concerns the relationship of the finite with the infinite. How does this theme work through the book, and what might Lewis be suggesting about our relationship with the divine?
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In what ways is the Orual Psyche? In what ways is she Ungit? How and why is she both (and herself)?
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How does Lewis blend pagan mythology and Christian ideas in Till we Have Faces?
He uses these stories as a sign to direct us in the direction of Christ. This is a particular talent of Lewis. He directly points to Christ through a myth, so not necessarily a blending but a tool used to bring forth Christ.
What do you think Lewis means when he has the fox explain to Orual: "All, even Psyche, are born into the house of Ungit. And all must get free from her. Or say that Ungit in each must bear Ungit's son and die in childbed -- or change"?
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