Performing Against Annihilation: Identity and Consciousness in J.R.R. Tolkien, Richard Wagner and George R.R. Martin

Acknowledgments
Contents
List of Figures
1 The Philosophy of Identity in the Three Works
	1.1 The Dilemma of Death
	1.2 Identity as the Root of Death Anxiety
	1.3 The Works’ Philosophical Stances on Identity
	1.4 Identity Creation Strategies
		Relating to Past and Future Versions of the Self
		Relating to Others
		Identity Formation Through Creation
	1.5 Dynamic Approaches to Identity Formation
		Hegelian Sublation
		Ricœurian Ipse and Idem Identities
	1.6 Identity Dissolution
2 The Performative Language of Identity
	2.1 The Structure(s) of the Performative Language of Identity
	2.2 Visual Techniques in the Performative Language of Identity
		The POV Shot
		The Kuleshov Effect
		Inner Dialogue
	2.3 Auditive Techniques in the Performative Language of Identity
		Leitmotifs
		Identity-Bending Sound Design
	2.4 The Immediacy of Performativity
3 Identity in Action
	3.1 The Nibelung’s Ring—Authoring the (Partially) Blank Slate
		Siegfried Forges Nothung
	3.2 The Lord of the Rings—Embracing the Divine Self
		Arwen’s Journey
	3.3 Game of Thrones—Arranging Scattered Patterns
		Daenerys’ Vision
4 The Philosophy of Consciousness
	4.1 Approaching Consciousness
		The Reductionist Camp
		The Non-reductionist Camp
			Dualism
			Panpsychism
	4.2 Free Will
		Compatibilism
		Incompatibilism
			Fatalism
			Libertarianism
	4.3 Sensation Seeking
	4.4 The Unconscious
5 The Performative Language of Consciousness
	5.1 Manipulation of Performative Time
	5.2 Manipulation of Performative Space
	5.3 Coded Symbolism
6 Consciousness in Action
	6.1 The Nibelung’s Ring—Strokes of Insight
		Brunhild’s Immolation
	6.2 The Lord of the Rings—Expanding Rings of Consciousness
		Frodo’s Redemption
	6.3 Game of Thrones—The Net (Dis)Connected
		The (D)Evolution of Bran
7 Performative Identification in the Three Works
	7.1 Identification and Empathy—A Narrative Approach
	7.2 Identification—A Neurological Approach
	7.3 Identification in the Fantasy Genre
Works Cited
Index