The influence of history and culture on humanity in the light of the lord of the rings

THE INFLUENCE OF HISTORY AND CULTURE ON HUMANITY IN THE LIGHT OF THE LORD OF THE RINGS ABSTRACT The thesis discusses that the themes of history and culture have a great influence on humanity, and literature, as an area taking support from history and being a main production field of culture, is the most significant mediator to set the pace for humanity in postwar periods. As the example for this idea, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien's Middle-earth saga, The Lord of the Rings, is examined in detail in consideration of Goethean humanism, new historicism, multiculturalism and individuality. In the first part, The Fellowship of the Ring, the first novel of the saga is examined in terms of the benefits of cultural diversity, a multicultural group, and learning one's own culture. The thesis provides the reader with the idea that after World War II, peace could be brought only by studying on the theme of culture, showing tolerance to different cultures and learning to share the same world with them. In the second part, The Two Towers, the second novel of the saga is examined in terms of the importance of individuality in the multicultural group, learning about other cultures in the group and the characteristics of cultural heritage's enemy. This part investigates to what extent background information for culture played a role in building a peaceful world. In the third part, The Return of the King, the third and last novel of the saga is examined in terms of reaping the harvest of true communication in human relations, defending cultural history together and the aspects of war. The idea and impression gained are that dignifying life of the other makes one human and accepting one's mistake makes human unique. This study implies that literature gets its source from cultural history and includes people's past experiences, sufferings and lessons that they have taken from the past. By reading works of literature from the postwar periods and interpreting them on their own ways, readers have the authority to change the world by taking the works as example. Keywords: Humanism, New Historicism, Multiculturalism, Individuality, World Wars in Literature