Homework

It's still light out late enough for me to sit on the window-sill and read when I get home from work, if only for a little while.

Reading the "Bladorthin Typescript" in 
The History of the Hobbit, by J.D. Rateliff.

In this very early typescript, the chief dwarf is "Gandalf," the wizard is "Bladorthin," and the dragon is "Pryftan."  The name changes are a little disconcerting.  

Self-Portrait II: Everything is lightly outlined in orange

"Bladorthin" strikes me as a most inelegant name.  I can only assume it is pronounced "blah-DOOR-thin" (as opposed to "bladder-thin," which is what I think of every time I see the word on the page).

But I must confess that I do occasionally have issues with some of Tolkien's names even further along in the Legendarium.  In particular, I get really distracted by names that look like they should spell something backward in English.  A name like "Erebor," for instance, always makes me pause and double-check.  (Hmmm, "Robere" - nope, still no hidden meaning.)

Self-Portrait III: Fade to dusk

Over the weekend, I submitted my first paper for the course (on the Bladorthin Typescript's predecessor, the "Pryftan Fragment").  I focused on changes to the character of the chief dwarf between the Pryftan Fragment and the equivalent portion of the opening chapter of The Hobbit.  I was particularly interested in how the chief dwarf's long-windedness and ineptitude as a leader were exaggerated to the point of caricature, creating (in essence) a leadership vacuum for Mr. Baggins to grow into.