Authoring the century: J. R. R. Tolkien, the great war and modernism

Abstract

Redressing the critical habit of severing J. R. R. Tolkien and his work from literary and cultural history by highlighting the impact of twentieth-century history on his work, 'Authoring the Century: J. R. R. Tolkien, the Great War and Modernism' challenges literary-critical perceptions of the author. Resituating his life and literary-critical output within its cultural-historical context, the article then analyses the pre-war origin of his 'mythology for England', going on to investigate Tolkien's production of 'The Voyage of Éarendel the Evening Star', 'The Lonely Isle' and 'The Book of Lost Tales' as a direct response to the First World War. Examining and establishing their elements of contiguity and difference to what is conventionally seen as representative literature of the conflict, notably 'Dulce et Decorum Est', 'Anthem for Doomed Youth' and 'The Soldier', this article discusses Tolkien's invention and development of the themes, ideas and aesthetic methodology of his legendarium in this period. Relating The Hobbit to the trench memoirs of Tolkien's generation, the article reads this text from the perspective of Tolkien's theoretically sophisticated vision of fantasy literature, going on to discuss his apprehension of his mythology, and production of highly allusive and dialogically reflexive narratives in relation to modernism.