PROPOSALS

Jacqueline Kenny

Senior, English Major

For the Transitions, Translations, and Spaces in Between panel for the 2018 Writers’ Conference, I submit my paper “Transgressing Morals: the Theory of Life.” In the essay, I use philosopher Michel Foucault’s theory of transgression, which is outlined in his “A Preface to Transgression,” to dissect Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment. I argue that the only way the main character, Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, is able to find the significance of morals and the meaning of life is when he stops obsessing about the theory of morals and lets life define his existence. I use literary critic Gary Saul Morson’s “The Disease of Theory: “Crime and Punishment” at 105” as a secondary source in order to provide background information on the time period and cultural setting when Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s book was published, and I also reference the critic’s argument on how Raskolnikov’s obsession with being able to rationalize morals makes him mentally ill. In the book, the main character believes that a select few people have the ability to transgress morals and not feel remorse. Raskolnikov’s obsession with this theory almost unconsciously possesses him to transgress the line of morality, leading him to commit murder. Unfortunately, Raskolnikov’s rationalization of morals crumbles when he feels guilt for his crime. Because he disproves his own theory, he no longer finds any meaning to life. After he accepts the fact that he cannot theorize morals, he is able to let go of his obsession and finally, once again, find the true meaning of life. Ultimately, in my paper about transgression in

Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment, I analyze how the act of transgression reinforces the need for rules and morals.

Josephine Ziemann

Senior, English Major

Because my paper is about the anthropomorphic trees in The Lord of the Rings, which is sometimes marketed as a Young Adult series, I would like to submit this paper for the Coming of Age: bildungsroman panel.

Can’t See the Forest for the Trees

Through the winding rivers and vast forests of Middle-earth, the scenery is a part of every step that the fellowship takes. At times, Tolkien’s descriptions seem to make the world come to life; at other times, Middle-earth is literally alive. From the Hedge boundary that separates the trees of the Old Forest and the Shire to the Ents of Fangorn Forest, the anthropomorphic trees of middle earth cause the distinctions between human and plant become blurred. The words that Tolkien uses to describe these trees blend the ideas of flora and fauna into one being. The experience of life itself is being examined through the contrast of nature and domestication. Even without explicit anthropomorphism or other forms of personification, Tolkien’s use of exposition and scenery throughout his writings emphasizes the underling life of Middle-earth itself. Tolkien surrounds his characters in the rich geography and history of the land, bringing the background details into the foreground while also having consequences for the plot. While not literal anthropomorphism, Middle-earth has a life beyond the trilogy, branching into other books and stories. Through their anthropomorphism, the motives of the trees take on a life of their own and become as applicable and understandable as any Tolkien’s characters made of flesh and blood. Throughout the hobbits’ journeys, both together and split apart, they encounter the consequences of history and geography that give the land of Middle-earth a life of its own. The natural world of Middle-earth in The Lord of the Rings is as alive as any other character with a heartbeat, with the same motives that drive life.