A List
11/24/03

'LORD OF THE RINGS' EXPERT TO SPEAK AT SLU

CANTON – Middlebury College Associate Professor of Computer Science 
Matthew T. Dickerson, author of Following Gandalf: Epic Battles and 
Moral Victory in 'The Lord of the Rings,' will give a lecture titled 
"J.R.R. Tolkien and the Real Battle in The Lord of the Rings" on Thursday, 
December 4, at 8 p.m. in Room 123 of Griffiths Arts Center at St. Lawrence 
University. The event is open to the public, free of charge.
	Of interest to both serious readers of the "Rings" books and 
fans of the films, Dickerson's talk will explore questions such as: What 
is the essential power of the "One Ring," and why do characters reject it? 
What is Gandalf's real power, and why does he display it only rare 
instances? Does Tolkien glorify war and violence?
	Publishers Weekly states that, in his book, Dickerson "argues 
cogently that Tolkien's original written treatment of battles provides a 
very different picture than the films or spin-off video games. He 
demonstrates how Tolkien offers a deeply nuanced understanding of the nature 
of war, and how the trilogy criticizes self-aggrandizing glory in battle."

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