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
David S. Goyer Talks Man of Steel | Collider
A Film Portrait of JJR Tolkien (1996) | Landseer
Tolkien and the Great War | John Garth
An Experiment in Criticism | C.S. Lewis
A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War | Joseph Loconte
The Secret History of Wonder Woman | Jill Lepore
Walter Hooper: Life of C.S. Lewis | Socrates Society
Planet Narnia | Michael Ward
The Narnia Code | BBC
The Narnia Code | Michael Ward
Ursala K. Le Guin on Tolkien | Talk of the Nation
Superheroes Decoded | History
End notes recorded May 16th
The Bridge of Khazad Dum | Howard Shore
Wonder Woman | The Bombsters
Web: ManOfSteelAnswers.com
Twitter: @mosanswers
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