Sophia Berg Awarded High Distinction and Literary Theory Prize for Senior Thesis

Sophia Berg’s undergraduate senior thesis in English, The Fall of the West: A Númenórean Anatomy of Neofascist Power, was awarded both High Distinction and the Barbara Herrnstein Smith Award for Outstanding Work in Literary Theory or Criticism. Developed under the direction of her advisor, Dr. April Henry (German), the project offers a sophisticated and theoretically grounded analysis of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fall of Númenor. Drawing on Edward Said’s concept of otherness, René Girard’s scapegoat theory, and Hannah Arendt’s reflections on power and collective responsibility, Berg examines how Tolkien represents exclusion and decline within Númenórean society. Through careful close reading and a strong theoretical framework, the thesis places Tolkien’s legendarium in conversation with broader questions in literary studies, including areas of interest to German Studies.