| Classic or canonized novels (to avoid the confusion, hereafter canon islargely used as a literary term) have always been a main subject in literary study.However, it seems to most learners of literature that such questions as how a piece ofliterary works becomes classic and canonized, what canon really means and whatnature canon has, have no accurate answers in terms of standards and formulas, justlike many other literary issues. Generally speaking, the reason why canonized novels are classic is becausepeople seem to all agree on and accept them as the way they are. Scholars and critics,nevertheless, tend to hold different opinions towards characters, plots, themes, andother elements of novel in the classics. Some works once received verysharp-tongued criticisms and their writers were despised or offended, but they didnot become forgotten in the course of literary history. On the contrary, they havebeen remembered for generations, such as Hardy's Jude the Obscure and D.H.Lawrence's Sons and Lovers. That is to say, to some extend, the positions of classicnovels did not come overnight. As a result, there is a necessity, and a scope as well,to study "canon" and "canonization" in the academic sense. This thesis seeks to start with a study of "canon" from an etymologicalperspective, and the progression of the term; then it goes further on with a relativelydetailed study of a piece of works, which is disputable and legendary; finally thisessay will answer what meaning the text of the works and the peripheralenvironment of the works bring to the world as canon. This thesis is designed into five parts as a whole: Introduction and Main body(including 4 parts). 1. Introduction In this part, it shall present the novel, the study subject in this essay, which is closed related to the other study subject —— "canonization", and it will cover the critical studies on this novel at home and abroad. Particularly for its writer, J.R.R. Tolkien, is introduced as Oxford scholar and author of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. 2. Part One Canon (Main Body) In this section, it will discuss the origin of canon, especially in the English language, and its derivative "canonization" in a defining way. It shall also compare "canon" with the term "classic" in the realm of literature. In themean time, this part shall introduce what kind of position and influence canonhas in literature. 3. Part Two Tolkien and his The Lord of the Rings Chapter I in Part Two will introduce Tolkien, a prestigious scholar ofMedieval English and modern writer of the 20th century in detail. The historyreview of Tolkien in his early life and his personal experience aims at linking hislife to his scholar career and writer career. Chapter II in Part Two will offer a brief flashback of criticisms upon TheLord of the Rings in the past and present, including the controversial joints. InChapter III, it shall review the main plot of The Lord of the Rings and discuss itsgenre as Romance. 4. Part Three Anatomy of The Lord of the Rings In this part, the essay will discuss in depth all the three parts of the novel,from plot, character, style, setting, and theme in order to explain how Tolkien asa philologist perceives a world of his own creation. 5. Part Four Canonization This part will discuss canon as a special literary phenomenon, and aliterary existence, and also the power-helix development behind the veil of canon.It shall explain of at what stage of literary history and what literary trend decidesthe position of The Lord of the Rings today. |
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