Public Research: Field of Study

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Okay, I think I am commited to write my story here, otherwise I'll be denying my very self.

There was a couple of strange things which have happened to me at the time before I went to the University. And I have to point out that before that I haven't read LotR for a long time... since the movies came out, to be precise. Now thinking of it, this is one of the two things which happened in my life in reverse to the mainstream. Generally, I am actually a very "Ulmo-like" person: the Voice that Stands Against. I never go with the flow. So, when the movies came out, and many folks were acknowledged with Tolkien, I abandoned him. I set on one of these Gray ships and, against the endless fleet of ships coming to the coasts, I departed from those beloved shores...

Many things happened in my life in that time "between". But then, one year, I went to my first year on the famous Charles University of Prague, to study biology&geography - with pedagogical aim. I liked geography, I even liked biology... strange, since I was always more into these humanities things...

(Deepened voice of doom) It was not my fate to finish this study. Not only that I was never good in Maths and all this silly stuff, but God came to my life and he showed me another way. What was worse, a great shocker came to me. Shortly after I believed, about half a year later then, I realized that Tolkien was in fact a Christian. I didn't have a clue of it before, and now I am quite sure this was a part of a plan. Some people say that Tolkien maybe had impact on them so that they started to believe, or if I use other words, that Tolkien's works have brought them to God. With me, it was the other way around: the God brought me back to Tolkien! When I remember this, I just can't resist to feel the joy of it. With clear conscience I can say here, that hadn't it been for God, I would've probably spent the rest of my life without Tolkien. What a terrible thought!

Nevertheless, to get to the point of my story, for why I originally started to tell it here, under this topic: I started to play with a thought of going to study theology. It was very close: I almost made a storno to the application on the day of its posting (and it was the last day you could apply for the study). But the hand of God saved me from this terrible mistake. And finally, one sunny day in June, I entered the building of Protestant theological faculty of Charles University to make the entrance tests, and later, the entrance interview.

I might have expected many things in there, but this was another shock. I remember it as if it were yesterday. We took the tests, quite simple for me being, I think I might say, quite well-acquainted with the humanities studies and so on. But then, the entrance interview came. I'll never forget it. Five strange professors or doctors or whatever were sitting around the table, and they tried to look kindly.

"Each of us will ask you one question," said the "boss" among them. "You might start, sir," he said to the one sitting on the other side of the round table.

The guy nodded and spouted quickly: "What do you think of Tolkien's concept of evil?"
I think I would at that moment stare with open mouth if it were "socially admissable". If I was expecting anything from an entrance interview, this was certainly not it. And so I, considering myself one of the best Tolkien-loremasters in Czech Republic, was just able to stutter a few words about Melkor becoming Morgoth. And about the corrupting power of the Rings. The man nodded. But this was not the end of it.

Why would I make it too long: three of five professors asked me about Tolkien. One about Tolkien's response to the pre-war Nazi German propaganda considering Hobbit as a glorification to the "good ol' pure race mythology", so I answered with what Tolkien said in response that he is sorry that he does not belong to the Chosen people of Israel. The other man asked me about the parallels between Sil and the Bible. Don't ask me how they came to this. But I ended on that faculty, and I am very happy for it. Thus, to the answer in the poll, yeah, Tolkien brought me to the study of theology. Literally.

[ninja91]

Until I discovered The Lord of the Rings, I wanted to be a hockey player. I did not like English very much either. But now English classes are my favorite, and I want to be an author.

[Laitoste]

Okay, this may be long-winded, apologies in advance.

I'm currently working towards a major in English Literature in the hopes of going on to graduate school and going into academia. That's the plan, at least.

I had hoped to graduate with a double major in history and English, but since I want to study abroad for a year, I can't do history as well. I started getting interested in history when I was 14, shortly after reading everything my textbook had to offer on the American Civil War for fun. So I can't entirely credit Tolkien with my interest in history, but he probably strengthened it.

My interest in studying literature definitely developed after reading The Lord of the Rings, and helped me develop a taste for Anglo-Saxon and medieval texts. Then, I found out that I'm a lot better at literature than history, so I changed my focus. I still plan on taking as many history courses as I can fit into my schedule.

[Boromir88]

I love my history...if Human Resources didn't have the advantage in the money I'd probably be off teaching history.

I think it's quite a shame on how History is taught these days (see Loewen's 'Lies My Highschool History Teacher Taught me'). It's a pity history is taught by the 'book' and as they say (which is quite an accurate saying) the books are written by the victors. History was my 'field of study,' always has been a true passion, and will always remain so.

Edit: oh boy, I didn't realize you could vote for more than one option.

[Nogrod]

I must join the group of people who confess being interested in History already before getting to know the prof and his works, even if they were just 10-years old...

But I would like to mention philology here. In that Tolkien has really been an inspiration for me: the histories of the words and their interrelatedness, the different languages and their ways of revealing the world differently. That interest I have probably learned from Tolkien.