UK Moot 2024 Registration
Tolkien famously rejected suggestions that The Lord of the Rings had any allegorical meaning or themes. However, in turning a critical eye to his writing, he wrote to a friend:
“The real theme for me is […] Death and Immortality: the mystery of the love of the world in the hearts of a race ‘doomed’ to leave and seemingly lose it; the anguish in the hearts of a race ‘doomed’ not to leave it, until its whole evil-aroused story is complete.”
We invite contributions from in-person and remote attendees that analyze the philosophical, theological, and literary dimensions of death and immortality in Tolkien’s works, exploring the impact of these themes on characters, cultures, and the overarching narrative. Such contributions could include, but are not limited to:
Theological Underpinnings: Examining the influence of Tolkien’s Catholic faith on his portrayal of death, the afterlife, and the immortal beings in Middle-earth.
Character Studies: Analyzing characters’ individual experiences in the face of mortality, such as Aragorn’s acceptance of his human destiny and Frodo’s burden of bearing the One Ring.
Cultural Perspectives: Exploring how different races in Middle-earth, such as Men, Elves, and Dwarves, conceptualize and grapple with the concepts of death and immortality.
Narrative Impact: Investigating how the themes of death and immortality contribute to Tolkien’s stories’ narrative depth and emotional resonance.
Comparative Analysis: Drawing parallels between Tolkien’s treatment of mortality and immortality and other literary, mythological, or religious traditions.