Who doesn’t wish they could travel with Bilbo Baggins? Who wouldn’t love to venture to Narnia? Why wouldn’t a person love to sit and chat with Tolkien or Lewis? Who wouldn’t love to do the next best thing, by exploring the places they talked, dreamed, and wrote the timeless adventures that continually captivate readers?

That is exactly the opportunity offered by the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College in the Study Abroad course “From Tolkien to Lewis: Literature and the Fantastic.” It is more than just studying Lord of the Rings and Narnia; it’s experiencing fantasy literature—experiencing Narnia and Middle Earth.

While living in Oxford, England, for a month, students study fantasy fiction and tour the locations important to the authors and their works. It is a hands-on learning opportunity that not only includes the study of fantasy texts, but also includes unique research opportunities.

For the final paper, students research a topic of their choice. The students conduct their research in the Bodleian Library, the library that houses historical manuscripts and a copy of every book copyrighted within the UK. The topic choices are endless, and, as one former student commented, “nerd-vana” is imminent. Prior research projects have ranged from Charlie Chaplin Film and Politics to Bird Ecological Niches in Europe and the Southeastern US. Obviously, the Bodleian offers a wealth of information, giving students a wide variety of topics to choose from.

The Study Abroad course is taught during the summer by the dynamic Barksdale Fellows from the SMBHC, Vince Evans and Abby Loebenberg. They create a unique learning environment by approaching the course from different disciplines and perspectives. Loebenberg examines the literary works using anthropology and sociology, while Evans discusses philosophy and literary theory. This combination allows students the exciting opportunity to explore the texts as more than just literature. The learning environment and thought process are multi-faceted and encourage examination of the texts from various angles.

Though the course is taught in a four-day week structure with two hour classes, field trips are common and there is plenty of time to do personal exploring. On the summer 2011 trip, students adventured as near by as Ireland and as far as Prague during the course of their three-day weekends.

The cost of $5500 includes living in a room in Hertford College, a constituent college of the University of Oxford with ties to Hert Hall founded in the 1280s. Of course, the price also includes the cost of tuition, health insurance, and two meals a day. Personal travel while in England and the cost of travel to/from England are the responsibility of the student; however, the adventure into the minds and places of Tolkien and Lewis is certainly included. (This is a good value, as the Honors College has already subsidized the cost to the tune of $1000 for each student—it’s a deal!)

“From Tolkien to Lewis” is a course that could be a defining moment in a student’s college experience and education, an opportunity to integrate everything college is meant to be: education, experience, exposure to new ideas, and adventure.

By RoseAnn Foster, SMBHC, Class of 2015