Date of Award
2013
Document Type
Thesis
Publication Status
Version of Record
Submission Date
October 2026
Abstract
In "On Fairy Stories" J.R.R. Tolkien writes that joy is the "mark of the true fairy- story." Tolkien believed that joy was the defining characteristic of the genre. This joy is not just apparent in the happy ending of the fairy tale, but also in the manner in which the plot and characters show theories of joy, and the way the text itself creates joy in the reader. This paper will explore Tolkien's creation of brightness, hope, and wonder, and how these instances express a theory of joy. First I will look at the different types of joy in Tolkien's work, then the more general theories that these types express, and finally the effect the joy in the story has on the reader.
Extent
v, 67 p.
Recommended Citation
Minnerly, Natasha., "Snowflakes out of fire" (2013). Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019. 870.
https://digitalcommons.fau.edu/etd_general_6/870
Identifier
FADT3360961
Comments
by Natasha Minnerly.|Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2013.|Includes bibliography.|Mode of access: World Wide Web.|System requirements: Adobe Reader.|by Natasha Minnerly.