Recorded May 13th. Fantasy, faith, magic, & myth. J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, The Great War, and Wonder Woman. Middle Earth, Narnia, creating compelling fantasy, approaches to criticism, and overcoming disillusionment.
60 Year Old Spoiler Warning: Ending of The Lord of the Rings and portions of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.
[Note: Not really a Wonder Woman episode, a companion to the last episode. Next few episodes are more DC, less literary history.]
Answers, insights, and commentary on:
* I. J.R.R. Tolkien (Life)
* Orphan, Catholic, genius
* Popular, rugby captain, acting
* Languages, artist, marriage
* World War I, Battle of the Somme
* Philology
* Beowulf scholarship
* "On Fairy Stories"
* II. Secondary World (Depth)
* References condense information
* Recall a dragon or a Robin, no citation
* References are inherent and ubiquitous
* Broken references organic and immersive
* Irony, Immersion, or Identification
* Tolkien reverse engineering patina of myth
* Tolkien's perfectionism
* Superman as myth
* DC Films epic depth in world-building
* III. Outcasts Bond Over Obscure Interests (Friends)
* Tolkien meets Lewis
* Siegel meets Shuster
* Lewis encourages Tolkien's writings
* Lewis's life, atheism, studies, service
* Connection, fellowship, encouragement
* The Inklings
* IV. Approach to Criticism (Reaction)
* Critical response to The Lord of the Rings
* Stigma of fantasy and superheroes
* Creating stories with conscious purpose
* Wonder Woman as psychological propaganda
* Academic intellectual dishonesty
* "An Experiment on Criticism"
* Surrender, reading well, repeat readings
* V. Disillusionment (Lies)
* Tolkien & Lewis are counter-cultural and subversive
* Unrealistic optimism at start of the war
* H.G. Wells: "The War That Will End War"
* Ways Wonder Woman could be disillusioned
* Disillusionment after World War I
* Fantasy as recapturing immaterial wonder
* Good, evil, and corruption in fantasy
* Eucatastrophe, Frodo fails, divine grace
* Corruption in these DC films
* Reality and realism as cure
* Fantasy to represent magic of the familiar
* Tolkien & Lewis believe in heroism
* VI. Resonance (Truth)
* Tolkien & Lewis differences didn't divide
* Tolkien & Lewis didn't discriminate against works
* Openness to Wonder Woman, picking at differences
* Looking for truth and resonance over heresy and imperfection
* Seeing unappreciated value, Planet Narnia
* Imagination and emotions before intellect and allegory
* Watchful Dragons
* Applied to the Wonder Woman mythos
* Secrets, Truth, Beauty, Subversion, War, Myth, Wonder
To learn more:
Myths and Legends Podcast | Jason Weiser
What is Myth? | Crash Course Mythology
Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics | J.R.R. Tolkien
On Fairy-Stories | J.R.R. Tolkien
Battle of the Somme | Wikipedia
