I had a thought about a couple more categories, rather specific ones: Anglo-Saxon/Old English influences and Norse saga influences. I was hoping, rather naively, that we could formulate a *complete* list of categories so that we wouldn't have to go back over the same ground when doing our tagging, but I think that's impossible. I'm sure we'll come up with new categories as we work.
I like your idea of trying to develop a list of potential categories, Kathy,
Here are some possibilities to start:
Speculation: Always fun, and there has been a lot of it. Conjecturing beyond much evidence as to what might have been going on.
Interpretation: Especially where there are several different Interpretations discussed. What can we deduce from the close-reading evidence. Can we deduce several different possibilities?
Discovery: Where have we discovered new things (new to us at least - maybe new to all) from close reading of the text?
Observation: Where has close-reading led to observations that perhaps most readers do not observe?
Humor: There has been a lot of it in the class and on the forums. Well worth capturing.
Perspectives: There has been a lot of discussion on the perspectives of the first-time reader, the multi-reader, the Legendarium reader, as well as the perspectives of different characters in TLOTR.
The Ring: Its powers, its sentience, its influence.
Character Arcs: of the main characters. Including characters without much arc, such as Tom Bombadil, Treebeard, Balrog.
Elves and Men - Immortality v. Mortality: How are they similarly and differently portrayed in TLOTR.
Hobbits: What does close reading tell us about them?
Orcs: ???????
Nazgul: ??????
Providence: What is it? Where does it operate in the story? How? Who deploys it? Why?
Language, Languages and Linguistics: Where does JRRT use different language 'registers' and why? Where does JRRT use words with definitions unfamiliar to modern American readers? How are the many languages in Middle-earth used in the story?
References and Influences: Where do we see possible references and influences in TLOTR?
Poetry: How do we interpret each poem, and how does each poem and all the poems affect the work of art?
Well, there are some suggestions. I'm sure that many others could be added.