O fantástico como produto e produtor de subjetivação: uma análise do impacto de O Senhor dos Anéis em seus leitores

Abstract

This dissertation addresses the relationship between subjectivation and fantasy literature, with J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings as its object of study. The research is based on the notion that subjectivity is shaped by social and cultural experiences, as theorized by authors such as Deleuze and Guattari, and seeks to investigate how this widely consumed work transcends its nature as a product of mass culture to function as a vector of subjectivation, producing effects in the singularization of the subjectivity of its readers. To this end, we analyze the historical context in which Tolkien's work was created and the author's life experiences that influenced his writing. We study his role as a writer in different forms of production, such as academic, epistolary, and fictional writing, highlighting how fantasy narrative offers a space for the reader to experience multiple realities and reflect on moral and social issues indirectly. The research also included interviews with Brazilian readers about their experience with the book, whose responses were analyzed around themes such as friendship, the hero's journey, simplicity, and the divine. In short, we use The Lord of the Rings as an example to demonstrate that mass culture does not only produce non-subjected subjectivities, but also enables the singularization of subjects and can contribute to the human formation of its readers.