It turns out that just as Candide is an allegory for the academic job market, Frodo’s journey in The Lord of the Rings mirrors dissertation writing:
Like many a dissertator, Frodo’s terrible and treacherous mission has a dual nature. He cannot, and does not, accomplish the goal without the help of others, but ultimately, he must bear the great load alone.
One question: if Frodo’s fellowship “includes family, friends, dissertation groups, fellow doctoral students, professors, undergraduates, and archival and administrative staff members,” why do these people keep trying to take his dissertation from him?
[…] 30, 2009 by John Unlike Candide or The Lord of the Rings, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is not an allegory for academe. (This is a good thing, since […]