A Study Of Chivalry In The Lord Of The Rings

As one of Tolkien’s most popular works,The Lord of the Rings is widely regarded as the father of modern fantasy literature.Tolkien rewrites the old heroic tradition by incorporating medieval settings and Norse mythology,and reinterprets chivalry in the novel from his point of view.The purpose of this thesis is to analyze how Tolkien criticizes and improves chivalry in The Lord of the Rings to make it more suitable for modern society.At the same time,studying Tolkien’s reinterpretation and rewriting of chivalry will help modern people better understand and draw lessons from the tradition,and explore the spiritual value and emotion that Tolkien wants to convey to the readers,to infuse the modern world with humanism.The introduction introduces Tolkien,The Lord of the Rings and its research status at home and abroad,the research background,the central argument,research methods and significance of this thesis.The main body of the thesis is divided into three parts.The first part explores the evolution of chivalry in English literature and Tolkien’s view of chivalry through the study of Tolkien’s critical essays and related works,such as Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.The second part,based on the text of The Lord of the Rings,discusses the traditional values and modernized values of chivalry.Through the analysis of traditional values,it further proves Tolkien’s criticism of the element of pride in chivalry and his affirmation of chivalrous qualities such as loyalty and respect for women.Through the analysis of modernized values,this thesis discusses how Tolkien uses chivalry to convey his opposition to war,racial discrimination and class discrimination.The third part discusses the influence of Norse mythology on English literature,especially on contemporary English writers,and how it participated in the construction of chivalry.This chapter,meanwhile,examines how The Lord of the Rings,as a modern fantasy and as a myth created by Tolkien for Britain,makes modern sense through chivalry,and how it functions as an “imagined community” to strengthen the national unity.Finally,the conclusion part carded and summarized the full text.