ORIENTALISM IN THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY BY J.R.R. TOLKIEN

Neva Safina Azaria; Ida Farida Sachmadi; Sandya Maulana

doi:10.24198/serat.v3i1.63920

Authors

Neva Safina Azaria
i.farida@unpad.ac.id
English Studies Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Padjadjaran
Ida Farida Sachmadi Universitas Padjadjaran
Sandya Maulana English Studies Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Padjadjaran

Keywords:

Narratology, Orientalism, Othering, The Lord of the Ring

Abstract

The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien, namely The Fellowship of the Ring (1954), The Two Towers (1954), and The Return of the King (1955), comprise an implicit issue of Orientalism. This research consists of a dissection of the geographical aspects and the depictions of the characters' races, such as their cultures and traits, and what they represent that showcases the Orientalist perspective in a fictional universe. In this case, we will present the stereotypical perspectives of the Eastern people by the Western people in the books with the theory of Orientalism and by scrutinizing the elements of narratology used in the novels, such as tense and voice that consist of order, duration, and frequency. We will also unfold the dynamics by using focalization and characterization. Presenting the stereotypes of the Eastern hemisphere that portray the Othering of the characters and how their lands are known as wild and exotic indicates that Orientalism revolves around the story and perpetuates the stereotypical views of the East. The representation of diversity in the trilogy unveils the distinct perspectives of cultures and morality that reinforce the Orientalist perspective.

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