Mapping Real Meanings through Fictional Spaces in J.R.R Tolkien’s ‘the Lord of the Rings’: A Psycho-Geopolitical Reading

Abstract

The current dissertation undertakes a psycho-geopolitical approach that aims at reading John Ronald Reuel Tolkien's fictional cartography in The Lord of the Rings (1954). Fantastical literature used to be constructed mainly upon fictive characters and plot. However, due to the spatial turn in literary studies, the genre was revolutionized with having writers focusing more on the creation of meaning-laden fictional spaces. This aspect has led to elevating the genre of fantasy to become more sophisticated and known as high fantasy. One of the most celebrated authors who used this newly emerging aspect is J.R.R.Tolkien in his noticeable work, The Lord of the Rings. Thus, this research argues that the intention behind Tolkien’s skillful fiction is his deft creation of mesmerizing realms and spaces that make the story more engaging and identifying for the reader. Through his fictional cartography, we assume that Tolkien creates a whole fictional world where different elements like maps, races, languages, and cultures are to constitute one whole story; one whole fictional geography. In this respect, our research seeks to ultimately read the diverse geography of Tolkien’s rich literary cartography, as well as his acute awareness of the significance of maps in his novel.