Thesis Defence: Death as a Gift: A Heroic Celebration of Life in The Lord of the Rings
December 13 at 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Ali Mirzabayati, supervised by Dr. Michael Treschow, will defend their thesis titled “Death as a Gift: A Heroic Celebration of Life in The Lord of the Rings” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in English.
An abstract for Ali Mirzabayati’s thesis is included below.
Defences are open to all members of the campus community as well as the general public. Please email michael.treschow@ubc.ca to receive the Zoom link for this defence.
ABSTRACT
This thesis explores contrasting perceptions of death among Men in J. R. R. Tolkien’s legendarium, focusing on the characters Théoden and Denethor in The Lord of the Rings. Central to this study is Ilúvatar’s Gift of mortality, which paradoxically shortens human life while inspiring a yearning for transcendence beyond the physical world. This research examines how Men’s understanding of their free will and connection to larger cosmic forces influence their views of death as either a gift or a curse.
Although scholars, including Tom Shippey, Amy Amendt-Raduege, and Majorie Burns, have examined Théoden’s and Denethor’s differing attitudes, this thesis offers a more comprehensive view by analyzing The Silmarillion, The Fall of Númenor, and Morgoth’s Ring alongside Tolkien’s letters. This approach reveals new insights into Tolkien’s portrayal of mortality, addressing gaps in existing scholarship.
The first chapter reviews death narratives in Arda, showing how Men’s interactions with Elves and divine entities shape their cultural attitudes toward mortality. Building on Anna Vaninskaya’s discussion in Fantasies of Time and Death, this chapter refines overlooked elements of death as a gift. The second chapter delves into Denethor’s despair, framing his fear of death within the context of melancholy as explored in Beowulf and analyzed by F. Anne Payne and Ruth Wehlau.
The third chapter traces Théoden’s transformation from despair to hope, framing his acceptance of mortality as a source of fulfillment. Comparing Théoden’s journey to Niggle’s in“Leaf by Niggle,” the study explores how embracing mortality offers a path to heroic glory. The final chapter contrasts Théoden’s and Denethor’s responses to the loss of their sons, using Freud’s “Mourning and Melancholia”to examine their grief as healthy mourning versus pathological melancholia.
Ultimately, this thesis argues that Men’s contrasting attitudes toward Ilúvatar’s Gift—acceptance exemplified by Théoden’s heroic death and rejection by Denethor’s despair—result in divergent outcomes of glory versus disgrace. Through comparative literature and psychological analysis, the study provides a fresh understanding of death as a transformative gift in Tolkien’s works, emphasizing how accepting mortality celebrates life heroically.
