Silmarillion—J. R. R. Tolkien’s Allotopia From Ardological Perspective Cover Image

Silmarillion – allotopia J. R. R. Tolkiena w perspektywie ardologicznej
Silmarillion—J. R. R. Tolkien’s Allotopia From Ardological Perspective

Author(s): Krzysztof M. Maj
Subject(s): Language and Literature Studies, Studies of Literature, Other Language Literature, Philology, Theory of Literature
Published by: Ośrodek Badawczy Facta Ficta
Keywords: allotopia;Tolkien;John Ronald Reuel Tolkien;Silmarillion;English literature;subcreation;world-building

Summary/Abstract: The article Silmarillion—J. R. R. Tolkien’s Allotopia From Ardological Perspective aims at outlining the methodology for studying Tolkien’s world-building project without the need of acknowledging the text-centered reading paradigm. Having differentiated tolkienology, as text-focused, philological studies, from ardology, understood as world-building studies, Maj deconstructs the use of Tolkienian’s “subcreation” in literary theory as far too indebted in the metaphysics of presence to establish a neutral framework for studying the process of constructing a fictional reality. With the examples from Silmarillion—perhaps the best instance of modern mythography, in no way resembling the narrative arc of a prototypical fantasy novel—the author builds up on the notion of “allotopia” as the world independent insofar to create its own ontologies, topographies, languages, philosophy, history, literature, art, or even physical artifacts—without the need of anchoring the overall creation in a metaphysical paradigm. Correspondingly, the text offers an insight to a number of theories in postclassical narratology or postmodern philosophy that may help in understanding the scale of Tolkien’s solemn contribution to the art of fantastic world-building.

  • Issue Year: 57/2017
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 73-91
  • Page Count: 19
  • Language: Polish