In this high school course, you’ll discover The Hobbit is more than a delightful and clean-hearted children’s tale. As you read through this course, you will see the emergence of the power and beauty of Tolkien’s greatest themes that radiate through his Lord of the Rings.
How to get the most out of The Hobbit or There and Back Again as Gateway to Lord of the Rings Henry Russell, Ph.D:
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First, read the course materials below before the first class meeting.
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Then have a notebook ready and available for class notes each live session.
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Read assignments before class meetings
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Watch that week’s recording if you need to revisit information from our live session.
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Do the assignments, quizzes, and any extra work assigned for that week.
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Once the course is completed to the parent's and professor’s satisfaction, there is a Certificate of Completion at the end to be filled in for your records.
Special notes: This course is part of a 4-part Lord of the Rings series. Students are encouraged to follow this course with “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” with Dr. Russell, which starts November 2. The series then continues into the spring semester.
Total Classes: 7
Duration: 55 minutes
Prerequisite: Ability to read the book with pleasure at about three chapters per week. Since most students will have seen the Peter Jackson films and will want to make comparisons, it is probably a good idea to see them.
Suggested Grade Level: 9th to 12th grade
Meeting Location:
Instructor: Henry Russell, Ph.D.
Instructor email: maryshire@gmail.com
Course Description: Tolkien’s The Hobbit was written as a children’s story and retains much of the clarity and light-heartedness of its kind. But Bilbo Baggins’ world is slowly made richer and deeper both by the author’s use of the Catholic elements from the great medieval saga of Beowulf and the background world of Tolkien’s deepest Elvish imaginings. By the end of the novel, Tolkien’s life-long themes become clarified here, including 1) a long-fought history that shapes the needs and duties of each newly modern era; 2) the need for heroism from simple people; 3) the necessity for constant moral vigilance by those who are destined to lead; 4) the conquest of charity over greed; 5) Tolkien’s growing understanding of the role of kingly leadership in Catholic society; 6) his sense of the ever-present role of Providence in life, and 7) the sorrow and beauty created by these first six themes. The success of this novel convinced Tolkien and his wise and humane publishers, Allen and Unwin, that the modern world was ready to hear more of the complex moral and supernatural world which Tolkien once thought was of interest mostly to scholars of the ancient like himself. We will both discuss the book and welcome comments about the films.
Course Outline:
Week 1: Biography of J.R.R.Tolkien
Week 2: Chapters 1-3: An Unexpected Party—A Short Rest
Week 3: Chapters 4-6: Over Hill and Under Hill—Out of the Frying Pan into the Fire
Week 4: Chapters 7-8: Queer Lodgings—Flies and Spiders
Week 5: Chapters 9-11: Barrels out of Bond—On the Doorstep
Week 6: Chapters 12-14: Inside Information—Fire and Water
Week 7: Chapters 15-19: The Gathering of the Clouds—The Last Stage
Course Materials: The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien, any unabridged edition will do.
Homework: Each week you will read two to three chapters of the epic. That will take about 1 to 1.5 hours for most readers. There will be weekly automated-graded quizzes available for immediate feedback, as well as two exams, one in the middle and one at the end of the course. Please come to class with thoughts and questions about what you have read.
- Teacher: Henry Russell