Texts:
- J. R. R. Tolkien, “Akallabêth,” and “Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age”
Discussion Leaders: Valen Tam
Discussion Questions:
- Of Earendil’s two sons, Elrond chose elven immortality while Elros chose the mortal life of humanity. When Arwen of the House of Elrond chose to be human out of love for Aragorn, it raised the question: what is the point of choosing to be a human in the first place if as an elf, one could choose mortality whenever they pleased? Is the contrast between Elrond and Elros an expression of entropy? If so, what parallels can be drawn from our own history as supporting evidence?
- I get the idea that Tolkien is a supporter of the mortal life, given he was apparently a devout Roman Catholic. How does he make his case against the allure of immortality and power over life (ex. Rings of power) in the final two chapters of The Silmarillion?
- Akallabeth reveals that there was an altar of Eru Illuvatar in Numenor before its destruction, and this stands out in the Quenta Silmarillion as the only notion of an active religion in Arda. How is Tolkien’s juxtaposition of the King’s Men and the Faithful a dichotomic representation of religion in our prime universe?
About Kathryn Ney
I am a Teacher Candidate in the Bachelor of Education Program (Secondary) with two teachable subjects, Social Studies and English. I graduated from the Global Stewardship Program at Capilano University in 2014 and completed a double major at UBC in English Literature Honours and History in November 2018.
During my studies at CapU, I volunteered as an English teacher with the Global Volunteer Network in Nepal and this experience first prompted me to consider a career in education. While studying at UBC, I led a Student Directed Seminar on the Inklings (Tolkien and C.S. Lewis), thus enabling me to gain experience designing syllabi and marking rubrics for peer evaluation. I am also an alumni of the UBC Arts Coop program, through which I predominantly worked as a docent and archivist in the culture and heritage industry. Some of my work during my Coop placements included developing educational programs for museums, and through this experience, I learned how to make history engaging and accessible for young people as well as for the general public. I spent the past year participating in the Odyssey Program as an English Language Assistant in small-town Quebec, during which time I gleaned extensive in-class and interpersonal experience working with both kids and young adults on their English skills. Since my return in May, I have been leading summer camps for youth focused on conservation issues and outdoor skills. This experience allowed me to share my love of nature and the environment with young people from across the province.
Ideally, after completing the BEd. program and having gained some teaching experience, I would like to find a way to combine these disciplines and interests in the form of extracurricular involvement, or otherwise to work abroad doing professional or curriculum development for teachers in developing countries.
