How Does Lord Of The Rings Impact Popular Culture

709 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: J.r.r. tolkien essays

The Lord of the Rings is undoubtedly one of the most classic tales ever told. This epic chronicle originally introduced to us in the mid-1950’s forever changed the landscape of entertainment, fantasy literature, and popular culture. Selling over 150 million copies, and ranking the third best-selling novel of all time, while the films have earned over three billion US dollars, and more than 250 film awards, 17 of which are Oscars. Created by J.R.R. Tolkien, this mega-tale which included a new world, new languages, endless adventures and fictitious creatures not only succeeded but sparked the masses interest in the fantasy genre itself. The goal of my research, and of this project is to illustrate why this has occurred and how it has impacted popular culture. …show more content…

So why did it achieve such never before seen levels of success for a fantasy novel where others did not? How did these novel based films be capable of impacting not only several facets of popular culture from TV shows, movies, clothing, merchandise, and music but sparking an international wide interest in fantasy. Making franchises such as Harry Potter and Game of Thrones household names in the entertainment industry. All these questions will be used to construct the project. Nevertheless, specifically, I will argue that the film’s success and adaptation into becoming popular culture stems from; its pre-existing large fanbase, and newly formed technological production capabilities and internet media outreach. Together these reasons which rest upon evidence which will be discussed in greater length below will come together to support the

Show More
Related

  • 'The Odyssey And' O Brother, Where Art Thou?

    1413 Words  | 3 Pages

    Pop culture’s mythology theory is used in many forms of media today, from The Legend of Zelda in video games to “Harry Potter in books. One example of usage of the mythology theory is the 1996 movie, O Brother, Where Art Thou? directed by Joel Coen. This movie is based off Homer’s epic poem, “The Odyssey.” There are many similarities between the two, yet at the same time, there are many differences.

    Read More

  • The Odyssey versus Oh Brother Where Art Thou?

    738 Words  | 2 Pages

    Tens of thousands of stories fit into the hero’s journey archetype created by Christopher Volger. Out of these, a large number of them are stories with remakes that share notable resemblances in their heroes’ journeys. However, none of these quite match those very strong similarities found between Homer’s The Odyssey and Joel Coens’s O Brother, Where Art Thou? These stories share crucial components of the hero’s journey whether it be “crossing the first threshold,” where the main characters of both stories begin their long adventure that transforms them into heroes; “the supreme ordeal,” where the main characters are both deprived of the opportunity to get home sooner; or “return with elixir,” where Odysseus and Ulysses both return to their homes alive the comfort of their wives. In their major plot points, the novel The Odyssey and the motion picture O Brother convey obvious similarities in key elements of their heroes’ journeys such as “crossing the first threshold,” “the supreme ordeal,” and “return with elixir.”

    Read More

  • Gift-Giving in Beowulf and the Odyssey

    1693 Words  | 4 Pages

    Literature has always been an immensely helpful resource when discerning cultural values in societies past and present. Through the study of noteworthy historic fictional and factual, texts we are able to distinguish parallel characteristics present through many different cultures and time periods. These distinguishing characteristics are one of the main things that help us to determine when and how a society, or world culture as a whole changes as time moves forward. When similarities are identified throughout many cultures in the same time period academics are able attach general titles to that specific time expanse. The “Heroic Age” is an example of a labeled span of time that generally maintains societal sameness throughout the period. The epic texts of Beowulf and The Odyssey are examples of culture revealing novels created during the heroic age. The texts help to prove the idea that societies maintain a basic status quo for many years because there is a 1500 year separation in the creation of the books. Despite this time difference in authorship, similar cultural ideals can be recognized throughout each novel. Both Greek and Germanic cultures emphasized the power and importance of receiving and giving gifts as a means of displaying and achieving power. Beowulf and The Odyssey share the general theme of giving, and when comparing the two, it is easy to conclude that giving and receiving is an integral part of both the Germanic and Grecian cultures of that time.

    Read More

  • Cultural Differences In 'Grendel And Beowulf'

    1392 Words  | 3 Pages

    In today’s society, most of our life can be defined by what is occurring in the media. What trends we are following, what we find entertaining, and even the values that we hold close to our heart. As you examine the movie, Beowulf and Grendel (Gunnarsson, 2005), and compare it to the original work that it is modelled after, Beowulf (Heaney, 2000), you can see that there is a significant difference in the cultural values of the time period that Beowulf and Grendel was written compared to Beowulf. There is a multitude of differences in the values people hold close to their heart in our world today compared to Beowulf. With Beowulf representing the Anglo-Saxon time period and Beowulf and Grendel representing the early 2000s era, the differences

    Read More

  • Comparing Beowulf and Jesus

    469 Words  | 1 Pages

    When all the evidence is noted (and there is even more beyond that which is stated here), one can not ignore the overwhelming presence of a

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of The Introduction To Twain

    700 Words  | 2 Pages

    An example of literature is brought up, where for no apparent reason the historical novel became a popular genre and everyone was reading and writing them despite the fact that the genre had been around for a very long time. He used this example to give a concrete example if his idea, and it appeals to the audience’s

    Read More

  • The Influence of Star Wars in Today´s Culture

    552 Words  | 2 Pages

    Motion Pictures have always had a strong influence in today’s culture, but maybe none as prevalent as Star Wars. Originating with Episode 4 A New Hope, the series boomed from 1977 to 2005 with yet another addition coming in 2015. The strongest of the series was the original trilogy episodes 4, 5, and 6, all generally released in the 1980s. As one of the strongest film francaises still today, it’s impact within the 1980s was only the tip of the iceberg. Children and adults alike still anticipate the new edition of this seemingly endless journey. If any singular film series still holds prevalence in its future decades it is Star Wars: Original Trilogy.

    Read More

  • The Big Sleep: Movie vs. Novel

    1588 Words  | 4 Pages

    Film and literature are two media forms that are so closely related, that we often forget there is a distinction between them. We often just view the movie as an extension of the book because most movies are based on novels or short stories. Because we are accustomed to this sequence of production, first the novel, then the motion picture, we often find ourselves making value judgments about a movie, based upon our feelings on the novel. It is this overlapping of the creative processes that prevents us from seeing movies as distinct and separate art forms from the novels they are based on.

    Read More

  • The Hero's Journey in Modern Film

    1757 Words  | 4 Pages

    Being one of the world’s most popular art forms, it was inevitable that these archetypes would find their way into film as well. In this essay I will argue that the films Pulp Fiction, Taxi Driver, Watership Down, and Trainspotting are all versions of The Hero’s Journey, consequently demonstrating just how prevalent these archetypes have become in modern cinema. And that mythology and storytelling are important parts of each culture because they prevent the darkness in our hearts from spreading.

    Read More

  • Beowulf and The Lord of the Rings

    1629 Words  | 4 Pages

    Setia, Roszainora, et al. “Semiotic Analysis of a Media Text The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.” Canadian Social Science 5.4 (2009): 25-31. Academic Search Complete. Web. 7 November 2013.

    Read More

  • Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time

    6164 Words  | 13 Pages

    In the world of Robert Jordan’s bestselling fantasy series, "The Wheel of Time", the life of the ordinary people has been undergoing some extraordinary changes. The legendary Dragon has been Reborn, and the Last Battle to decide the fate of humanity draws nigh. Meanwhile, outside of this world sit millions of readers, from all reaches of life, waiting anxiously for the next chapter in the story to be told. They debate what has happened, what it means in the context of the story, what it means for the future of the Wheel, as well as how it impacts their lives’. The Wheel of Time is a world where absolute good battles absolute evil, and yet shades of grey cloud the landscape. A world of hope and despair, a world of peace and war. From this world a following has grown. People from different cultures, different languages, and different political ideologies gravitate together forming a cohesive group that helps to spread the word about the work of Robert Jordan. In much the same manner that J.R.R. Tolkien created a myth for the modern ages with his saga "The Lord of the Rings" and George Lucas has done with his "Star Wars" series of movies, so has Robert Jordan entered into the realm of mythology with his work "The Wheel of Time". And this myth, like those which have come recently, and those from antiquity, has created a community of followers around it. They are drawn together initially because of a personal interest, and they stay not only for that interest, but because of the community that grows as a result of engaging themselves with this story.

    Read More

  • Popular Culture Artifacts

    1228 Words  | 3 Pages

    Goff, Patricia. Producing Harry Potter: Why the Medium is Still the Message. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2006. Print.

    Read More

  • Transmedia Storytelling

    2174 Words  | 5 Pages

    To date, transmedia theory and criticism has focused its analysis on the genres of science fiction and fantasy. This is mainly due to the abundance of opportunity to expand and create narrative paths provided by the types of stories popular to the genre. Geoffrey Long, in his master’s thesis, highlights the importance of a rich world in transmedia narratives (2007, 28). Christy Dena also describes the process of unraveling parts of a larger narrative in each medium of a transmedia story (2010, 18). Jenkins illustrates an example of the Wizard of Oz and author L. Frank Baum declaring himself “the royal geographer of Oz” (2009) We see JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, George Luca...

    Read More

  • The Effects of Popular Culture on Society

    366 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Effects of Popular Culture on Society Popular Culture is music, dance, theatre, film,T.V., poetry and Art which is enjoyed by a wide group of people. Some people would argue that popular culture in the 1960's cause harm. Other people however argued that other factors brought harm and change to society. Some people would argue that music would cause harm because of the lyrics in pop songs. Lyrics like 'Lets spend the night together' by The Rolling Stones, influenced young people to have casual sex.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Harry Potter Series

    1341 Words  | 3 Pages

    One of the most read series in all literature is Harry Potter. The seven-book succession has sold over 400 million copies and has been translated into over sixty languages. What is it that makes this series so wildly famous? What is it about the boy who lived that makes frenzied readers flock to their local bookstore at midnight on the day of the release to buy the latest installment? How is a story set in a world that doesn’t exist about wizards, witches, magic, and mystical creatures so popular? The series has been able to earn its spot on the New York Times Bestseller list and has granted author J.K. Rowling multiple awards because it is relatable. It is not the setting or the events in the plot of the story that we relate to. We relate to what Harry, his friends, mentors, teachers, caretakers, and even enemies feel. Harry is in a lot of ways exactly like us. He represents some of the good characteristics that all of us have as well as the bad. The series as a whole, is about one thing that is stressed over and over again in the novels, love. The Harry Potter series is one of the most read sequences of novels because the central theme is love and self-sacrifice, and readers are looking for a novel that shows them just that.

    Read More

More about How Does Lord Of The Rings Impact Popular Culture

Open Document