The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien

In this trilogy encompassing six books written in Europe during World War II, J. R. R. Tolkien creates a whole new world. He gives it a history, a language, and a people, some who are familiar and recognizable, some who are completely unique. The trilogy serves to fill the gap between the genres of fairy tale and myth. Central to the plot development are several recurrent themes: the question of freedom, the concept of the hero, the nature of good and evil, and the function of language. Much of the symbolism used throughout the work has religious overtones. Although The Lord of the Rings can be studies independently of its predecessor The Hobbit, a fundamental understanding of what takes place in that story is necessary before attempting to study the trilogy.

About the Series:

Novel/Drama curriculum units contain complete lesson plans with preliminary and follow-up work, teacher notes with plot summary, background, and rationale, ready-to-use worksheets, and suggested answers for student questions. These study guides encourage the development of thinking, reading, speaking, research, and writing skills as well as critical thinking skills such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.