奇幻與歷史:托爾金中土世界的次創造

Abstract

異於電影中摧毀魔戒後的平靜，「收復夏爾」一章在魔戒遠征後又另掀波瀾。此章通常被視為托爾金對二戰後英國的寓言式描繪，但其實質上扮演了提取小說歷史層面的重要推手。本篇論文旨在深入探討中土世界奇幻背後的歷史刻劃，幻奇/歷史的交織讓讀者脫離現實奔向次創造世界，無形中卻仍被框架於真實世界中的歷史進程。 本篇論文分為三章。第一章從托爾金的「第二世界」出發，論述其與歷史概念的關聯性。並以中土世界為例，企圖打破幻奇/歷史看似堅不可摧的藩籬。第二章則聚焦在小說所運用的情節編織(emplotment)，拉出「線性、循環與螺旋」的歷史性軌跡，也證明了「魔戒」歷史化的過程。第三章重新詮釋魔戒於小說中所扮演的虛實角色，析述其如何將小說歷史化，並加以投影於哈比人的兩次征途。 就像樂曲終章前的尾奏，這意想不到的冒險讓我們得以一窺托爾金小說中橋接第一世界的僻徑。在角色的互動裡，我們捕捉了歷史的流轉。

“The Scouring of the Shire” chapter of The Lord of the Rings creates another climax after the destruction of the Ring. Often read as an allegorical portrayal of postwar Britain, it in fact plays a significant role in leading the novel to the level of historicity. The thesis aims at an in-depth argument that Middle-earth is, in addition to a fantastic world, a world whose development is largely historical. The fantasy not only helps readers take a flight from reality but also frames us in a sub-created world defined by historical temporality. This thesis is divided into three chapters. The first chapter theorizes about the correlation between history and Tolkien’s fantasy. With the example of Middle-earth, their relation will be substantiated. The second chapter focuses on the theories of historical temporalities. By means of emplotment, these historical trajectories, with a spiral pattern in particular, will put Tolkien’s fantasy under a scrutiny of historization. The last chapter centers on the role of the Ring and the scouring chapter. The Ring will be proposed as a historical projector patterned on a spiral form, and its meaning will bridge the gap between the Ring Quest and the Shire one. This sense of historicity will be embodied in the confrontation between two central characters: Frodo and Saruman. In Middle-earth mythology, Tolkien deepens the involvement between fantasy and historicity, enriching the novel with the spiral of time.