Outlines

Thesis: “Tolkien’s series was hugely popular, in part, because it was a reflection of his own life, allowing him to write with passion and creativity that still intrigues readers today.”

I. Introduction

A. Attention Grabber: I will show a video clip from the first Lord of the Rings movie.

B. Central Idea/Thesis Statement: “Tolkien’s series was hugely popular, in part, because it was a reflection of his own life, allowing him to write with passion and creativity that still intrigues readers today.”

C. Forecasting Main Points: First, we’ll take a trip back in time to Tolkien’s early years as a child and follow the journey of his life leading up to his adulthood. Together, we’ll explore how his life mirrored his literature.

II. Tolkien's Childhood

A. Fear of arachnids

1. Use of a giant spider, Shelob

B. Loss of his father and mother, raised by other family members and a priest

1. Frodo's loss of his parents at a young age

2. Importance of religion throughout the novel

III. Tolkien's Military Service

A. Understanding of military maneuvering

1. Battle strategies of Middle Earth

2. Specific ranks/positions within the Orc and Roharrim armies

B. True understanding of war

1. Practices of the armies during wartime

2. Madness and death during the time of war

IV. Tolkien's Education and Employment as an adult

A. Oxford education

1. Professorship at same school

2. Teacher of Medieval studies and ancient languages

B. Job as an editor of the OED

1. Large vocabulary

2. Knowledge of Anglo-Saxon and Norse root words

V. Conclusion

A. Mic Drop Moment: I will play an impactful quote from one of the movies that aligns with Tolkein’s life and the meaning of his literary work.

*This example is adapted from Professor Gibbs-Franklin's class activity.

Thesis: Climate change alters the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem by affecting animal population, increasing bacteria and disease burden, and affecting water quality.

I. Animal Populations

A. Fish Migration and Spawning

1. "Changes in spawning phenology with increasing water temperatures have already been observed in Striped Bass and other anadromous species" (Giuliano, 2023, p. 2)

2. Temperature increases over time have led to a shorter spawning season (Giuliano, 2023, p. 9)

II. Bacteria and Disease

A. Climate change causing "expansion of the warm season period" and changes in "salinity patterns" that could affect bacteria prevalence (Urquhart et al., 2014, p. 1)

1. Vibrio vulnificus bacteria is "frequently detected in shellfish harvested for human consumption during the warm summer months" and can cause disease in humans (Urquhart et sl., 2014, p.1)

B. Vibrio vulnificus bacteria require specific salinity and temperature ranges.

III. Water Quality

A. Ecosystem affected by organic materials accumulating in the soil or the watershed.

1. "Organic material generated by vegetation, algae, and organisms can be mineralized into inorganic forms [...] or can accumulate in the soil matrix" (Elsey-Quirk & Cornwell, 2022, p. 1)

References

Elsey-Quirk, T., & Cornwell, J. C. (2022). Organic Matter and Nutrient Cycling in Coastal Wetlands and Submerged Aquatic Ecosystems in an Age of Rapid Environmental Change—The Anthropocene. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 10(8), 1096. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse10081096

Giuliano, A. (2023). Climate effects on the timing of Maryland Striped Bass spawning runs. Marine and Coastal Fisheries, 15(6)https://doi.org/10.1002/mcf2.10274

Urquhart, E. A., Zaitchik, B. F., Waugh, D. W., Guikema, S. D., & Del Castillo, C.,E. (2014). Uncertainty in Model Predictions of Vibrio vulnificus Response to Climate Variability and Change: A Chesapeake Bay Case Study. PLoS One, 9(5)https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0098256

Thesis: "Jane Eyre functions outside of her restrictive class and gender constructs through social mobility, gender subversion, and her expression of unconventional opinions."

I. Social Mobility

A. Jane as a "social outsider"

1. ability to cross class boundaries results in Jane's being viewed as subhuman and "a threat to the other characters"--sexually, financially, romantically, or otherwise (Peters 57)

2. "she does not easily fit into the established roles of either gentry or servants" (Peters 59)

B. Changes in Jane's status when living with the Reeds, at Lowood, as a governess, as an heiress, and as a wife.

1. "transference of physical and economic strength from Rochester to Jane" by the end of the novel (Godfrey 865)

II. Gender Subversion

A. When Jane is part of the working class, she acts androgynously

1. Jane and "the Lowood girls shed traditional feminine gender traits in submission to a more practical and more economical genderless appearance" in accordance with Brocklehurst's rules against "adornments of finery" and feminine hair styles (Godfrey 856)

B. When Jane moves to the middle class (as a governess), she must learn to "perform middle-class femininity" (Godfrey 858)

C. Jane's marriage complicates gender performance further

1. older-man/younger-woman dynamic "appear[s] to reinforce the subservient role of the female [...] and the dominant role of the male" (Godfrey 860)

2. As an older husband, Rochester becomes feminized due to losing his estate, social position, and eyesight.

3. Jane's power gives her masculine authority and allows her to "consciously manipulate the truth to increase her advantage over Rochester" (Godfrey 867)

III. Independence and Expression of Unconventional and Radical Opinions

A. Bertha serves as an example of the inherent danger in being a wife at the mercy of her husband, leading to Jane's decisions to not follow her desire and protect herself from the problems that would occur if she stayed at Thornfield

1. Jane's decision to run away serves as proof of her "character epitomizing independence" (March 82)

B. Jane's dysfunctional relationships with adults as a child - punished whether she behaves or not, so she has no reason to put up with the expectations of adults

1. Helps her learn "to manipulate difficult situations by maintaining the appearance of self-control" and "to speak wittily or ironically to the powerful figures who try to control her" (Sloman 111)

C. Jane's dislike of organized religion and preference for ideals of morality

1. Jane's response to being "struck at without a reason" is to "strike back again very hard" so as "to teach the person who struck us never to do it again" (Brontë 68)

Works Cited

Brontë, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Penguin Classics, 2003.

Godfrey, Esther. "Jane Eyre, from Governess to Girl Bride." Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900, vol. 45, no. 4, 2005, pp. 853-71.

Marsh, Kelly A. "Jane Eyre and the Pursuit of the Mother's Pleasure." South Atlantic Review, vol. 69, no 3-4, 2004, pp. 81-106.

Peters, John G. "Inside and Outside: Jane Eyre and Marginalization through Labeling." Studies in the Novel, vol. 28, no. 1, 1996, pp. 57-75.

Sloman, Judith. "Jane Eyre's Childhood and Popular Children's Literature." Children's Literature, vol. 3, 1974, pp. 107-16.