Date of Award
Spring 2019
Degree Type
Thesis
Director of Thesis
Dr. Michael Gavin
First Reader
Dr. W. Matthew J. Simmons
Second Reader
Dr. W. Matthew J. Simmons
Abstract
Using a technique called “distant reading”, which aggregates and analyzes large amounts of data with computational models that can be used to understand literature and find insights or patterns that may otherwise be undetectable, this paper seeks to understand the system of J. R. R. Tolkien’s fictional world of Middle-earth through a statistical approach. In an attempt to provide an entirely different view on his work, this paper examines semantic aspects of Tolkien’s corpus and how they complement the narrative structure, with particular emphasis on the topographic landscape and the journeys of specific characters through the space of Middle-earth itself.
First Page
1
Last Page
76
Recommended Citation
Beasley, Michael H., "A Spatial Text Analysis of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth" (2019). Senior Theses. 297.
https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/senior_theses/297
Rights
© 2019, Michael H. Beasley