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[TITLE OF RESEARCH REPORT/DISSERTATION/THESIS]

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this aesthetic evaluation is two-fold. First, I examine J.R.R. Tolkien’s literary illustration of

space, place, and atmosphere in a series of locations across Middle-earth. I focus on the aesthetic facets of

the physical environments, the possible aesthetic experiences generated from the visual layers of landscapes
and atmospheres, and finally, the philosophical implications obtained through the moments of reflection in

those locations. Second, I investigate the possibility of considering Tolkien’s depiction of space, place, and
atmosphere as literary artifacts and the construction of the whole Middle-earth as an act of artistic creation.

The theoretical framework of this doctoral research is formulated based on the combination of seven critical

criteria consisting of formalism, framing, historical/biographical information, imagination, the dialectical,
engagement, and aesthetic creation theory taken from environmental aesthetics and art philosophy. These

critical terms are tools at hand in aesthetically determined forms of evaluation and appreciation, which allows
assessing the qualitative—literary—landscapes from multidisciplinary views to interpret their aesthetic and

philosophical significance. Results demonstrate that Middle-earth could be observed as an aesthetico-cultural

tapestry on which Tolkien materialized his artistic, creative, moral, social, and environmental concerns
regarding the grave era in which he lived. He accomplished this task through the depiction of perceptual

aesthetic dimensions of the literary environments. Therefore, Middle-earth could stand as more than a mere
background of The Lord of the Rings; thus, the shaping of this imagined realm can be identified as an act of

art creation. Further, the aesthetic decoration and juxtaposition of the physical environments and artifactual
objects in Middle-earth make them eligible to be viewed as literary artifacts. The findings of this research

can crucially contribute to our understanding of J.R.R. Tolkien as a literary world-builder who externally

depicted the landscapes of Middle-earth with aesthetic features and internally elevated them with
philosophical dimensions to convey his moral, philosophical, artistic, and environmental messages. The

results could also assist scholars in arts and humanities in illuminating how the representation of imagined
geography could be utilized as a powerful aesthetic tool to demonstrate thought-provoking aesthetic-

philosophical spaces of contemplation.

Keywords: J.R.R. Tolkien, Middle-earth, literary Landscapes, Aesthetic Creation, Environmental
Aesthetics.

(iii)

Figure 2.3: Example of abstract iii

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