Undead or undying: Limits of immortality in Tolkien’s work
— Gaëlle Abaléa, independent scholar
Paper given 6 July 2022 at IMC 2022 Session 1033
Tolkien’s legendarium is peopled by mortal and immortal creatures, their diverging fate being at the heart of heroic deeds, tensions and tragedies as the professor attempted to lie down his own belief on death. At first glance the limits between those two groups are clearcut: some will die and some will linger. However, as the tale unfolds and new sources of inspirations add up, this border becomes blurry especially if love interferes. Characters will defy the laws of their own kind, cross borders and in so doing change history and even reshape worlds. But will they all succeed?
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