Abstract
Tolkien and Attachment theory: One Theory to Bind Them All?
Ever since the first publication of The Hobbit in 1937, Tolkien’s works have been dominating the fantasy genre, often imitated but rarely equalled. Dozens of scholars over decades have looked for the reason behind this success, the secret ingredient that made Middle-earth so compelling.
Nicole Guédeney is a French psychiatrist specializing in Attachment Theory. Attachment Theory emerged in the early 20th century and combines psychology with anthropology and ethnology to explore the early attachments created between a baby and the adults surrounding them and how these attachments determine the baby’s interactions, capacity to rely on others and to overcome trials and tragedies later in life.
In her paper “The Lord of the Rings, or how to survive despair and fear: An Attachment Theory reading”, Nicole Guédeney makes a compelling case for this theory as a critical approach to study and understand the interactions and character developments in Tolkien’s writings. Through attachment theory, The Lord of the Rings becomes a blueprint of resilience in the face of adversity.
This paper will lay out the principle of Attachment Theory, explain how Dr Guédeney analyses both Tolkien and his works through the lenses of that theory, and broaden the applicability of Attachment Theory to Tolkien’s works as a whole, opening the way for a new perspective on character analysis in Middle-earth.
Recommended Citation
Bremont, Lelie
(2025)
"Tolkien and Attachment Theory : a Theory to Bind Them All?,"
Journal of Tolkien Research: Vol. 21:
Iss.
2, Article 4.
Available at:
https://scholar.valpo.edu/journaloftolkienresearch/vol21/iss2/4