Maryam’s talk is called, “Outstaring Darkness: The Fellowship of Myth and Psychology in Lord of the Rings, the Film”
The Lord of the Rings is roughly 1100 pages long. Half a million words are devoted to this Lord. Whether the word “Lord” refers to the ring itself or to its maker the dark lord, Sauron, this much is certain: Tolkien named his entire saga after the principle of darkness. In essence, he’s invited us to take a sustained look at darkness–linger a while and dig down into it. Even though I discuss Peter Jackson’s film and not Tolkien’s book, I nonetheless consider Tolkien to be its creator, as well as its main protagonist. I view the film as a projection of what hunts his psyche. In other words, I take a psychological approach to the saga, and instead of amplifying its multitude of images outward by means of the great mythological record, I locate the inward psychological phenomenon they describe. I ask for indulgence as I dare to simplify The Lord of the Rings down to one simple sentence.
About Maryam
Maryam Sayyad, MA, is a dissertation candidate in Mythological Studies at Pacifica Graduate Institute where she eagerly studied and received her masters degree in the same field. She completed her BA in Philosophy and Art in Athens at the American College of Greece. Maryam has worked in theater since childhood, and run interior design firms for many of her adult years. She’s an academic writer, a poet, lecturer, and myth consultant for storytellers. She is an adjunct instructor at the Los Angeles Studio School teaching philosophy and writing in the myth-based general education department. Aside from her dissertation, her most recent creative project is myth-consulting, co-writing, and set designing for a contemporary theatrical adaptation of Sleeping Beauty. What makes this version special is that it openly discloses the mytho-psychological elements in the story. This play, funded by the Department of Mental Health, is scheduled to go on stage this fall.