Sue Wrote:
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> Hi ya'll,
>
> The poster asking all those pesky questions is a
> lifelong scholar and literary formalist. I'm not
> sure you want to know all the ins and outs of
> formalism, but this guy is pretty finickety about
> it.
>
> Here's his reply to some of your responses, which
> I thought were very fine and most helpful (at
> least to me!).
>
> Sue
> ------------
>
> QUOTE:
> I am very grateful for the time and energy you
> have spent explaining the hoped-for significance
you mean for entertainment, I really hope that no grant money was spent on this study
> of "The Hobbit." Nevertheless,although this novel
> may indeed be derived from Norse mythology
based on a few names and the number thirteen.
im guessing Mary Popins was based on British history with that kinda of criteria
> and
> although it may be but one chapter in LOTR,
which was written well after the Hobbit so call it a synopsis to explain to the readers of LOTRs how the Ring came into Bilbos possesion.
> it has
> been published as a separate novel and its
> actions, however unified, should have a beginning,
> middle and an end. A story must have a pattern,
> each event building on (or challenging) whatever
> has happened up to the time of that event.
you mean the current Hollywood fad of each scene has to have a bigger explosion or more naked folks than the last. funny thats not how most storys especially the classics worked.
If we
> say that "The Hobbit" is the story of Bilbo's
> discovery of his courage, growing eagerness to
> experience adventures - this resulting in a wider
> and greater respect of his society for him
did you happen to read the story... hobbit society dislikes adventure being a pretty conservative group of folks, who enjoy food, some beer and a good party on occasion.
- we
> cannot escape the need to see each event of the
> novel as correctly placed in an unalterable
> sequence to bring about that change.
you mean of course, the writer has written each chapter in order to reach the end of the story. simple english please is so much easier on the eye this early in the morning
>
> It is that unalterable sequence that I cannot
> discover here;
did you happen to check the content page, it lists the sequence in an easily titled manner with page numbers to help out.
it appears to make no difference to
> the larger argument of the change in Bilbo that
> many of the episodes might be interchanged. That
> indicates that either some other description of
> the whole action of the novel must be established
> as the principle of gradual change, or it
> indicates that the work is a shambles.
interchanged I guess if you wanted to switch the end of the story to the beginning you could but the beginning it is still the beginning and can only end up at the end. the story couldnt reach lake town with out the goblins and no way to get into the lonely mountian with out rivendale. so yes it follows a path to a conclusion. of course all those big fancys words say little and lead to no logical conclusion. and ends in a shamble
>
> Even f.airy tales have their logic, the limits and
> rationale of their magic; their episodes cannot be
> invented at will as though a new story were being
> created at every turn.
never noticed a fairy tale having chapters, and they were being created at will.
Yet, that is the impression
> I have of this novel. It is "deus ex machina" gone
> mad.
and so boys and girls a story is no longer a story no matter what the author says. sheesh...
oh and Mr Formalist the only thing mad is attempting to learn some earth shaking meaning from a childrens story. sadly I doubt you enjoy much of anything you read, always seeking an underlying meaning to it. the whole point to the story, other than the wonders one can experience in Travels. is that much as a little adventure can be a good thing, its always good to come home.
