The Lord of the Rings Series Influences
Who is Tolkien? Was he just some author back then who had a creative imagination? Or was he a very talented man who was in the first world war? Many have read the Lord of the Rings before, and as well as the Hobbit. Many also thought of them as just fantasy books, but there are hidden secrets within the story, characters, and the ring as well. In a way, no one would ever think of the books as being based off of huge events in history of the modern age they were in. More or less, they probably thought it was from nothing, and was put into the fantasy genre, of course, which back then, was not very popular to adults. But the stories have very deep roots.
As stated before, there are a series of these books in which Tolkien had written. There is The Lord of the Rings: ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’, ‘The Two Towers’, and ‘The Return of the King’. Then there is a prequel to the series, which is one book itself,
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After finishing his degree up at the University, Tolkien joined the Lancashire Fusiliers as a second lieutenant. According to BBC, In 1916 Tolkien was sent to France, where him and some soldiers faced the terrifying new machines of modern war, which were machine guns, tanks, and poison gas, which was created by the Germans. Tolkien was fighting in some of the bloodiest battles known to human history. Tolkien fought in the Battle of the Somme, a vicious engagement in which over a million people were either killed or wounded. In the trenches of the war, Tolkien began recording the horrors of war that would later inspire the races in The Lord of the Rings Series. Later that year he caught trench fever, an illness carried by lice, and was sent back to England. During his convalescence, he began writing down the stories and mythology of Middle-earth, which was also in old-english stories during Medieval Times that represented just
The First World War saw a new form of warfare known as Trench warfare which involved trenches which were deep long dugouts made by the soldiers that lived in these trenches. The trenches proved useful as they protected the soldiers from artillery and bomb fire and were most likely situated in the eastern and western fronts of Europe. However the conditions of the trenches were far from exuberant but were in fact severely terrible. There was bad hygiene throughout the trenches, for example soldiers bathed probably only once a month and as such were prone to diseases such as trenches fever (which were due to the lice attracted by the bad hygiene). The weather was no exception as well, in the summer it would be too hot and in the winter it would be too cold and due to the nature of the trenches, when it rained the trenches would be filled with water, and due to such conditions welcomed the disease known as trench foot which was due to prolonged exposure to water and claimed the foots of many soldiers. There was also the constant danger of bomb fire and snipers would always be on the lookout for any movement. Latrines, which were toilets used in the trenches also sprouted fear as the enemy could see them in this area of the trenches and therefore were in constant danger of death. Soldiers also had to follow a strict code of conduct which was known as trench etiquette which ordered them to respect higher officers and they would have to be punished if the trench etiquette was ignored.
Imagine yourself in a pre-industrial world full of mystery and magic. Imagine a world full of monsters, demons, and danger, as well as a world full of friends, fairies, good wizards, and adventure. In doing so you have just taken your first step onto a vast world created by author and scholar John Ronald Reuel Tolkien. Tolkien became fascinated by language at an early age during his schooling, in particularly, the languages of Northern Europe, both ancient and modern. This affinity for language did not only lead to his profession, but also his private hobby, the invention of languages. His broad knowledge eventually led to the development of his opinions about Myth and the importance of stories. All these various perspectives: language, the heroic tradition, and Myth, as well as deeply-held beliefs in Catholic Christianity work together in all of his works. The main elements of Tolkien’s works are Good versus Evil, characters of Christian and anti-Christian origin, and the power of imagination.
The Frodo Franchise is an academic book written by the film scholar Kristin Thompson about the Lord of the Rings (shortened to Rings) films. Early on, Thompson states that she wrote this book for three reasons. The first reason was her love for Tolkien’s work. The second reason was because the Rings had one of the most historically significant impacts on modern day movies. The third reason was because Thompson went to New Zealand while the film was in production. This resulted in Thompson being in the best position to write a book on how the films were made (Thompson 7-12). In her book, Thompson goes into great detail to explain to readers why the Rings trilogy is so historically significant. After reading the first couple of chapters of the book, Thompson convinced me that her claim was correct. I agree with Thompson when she states that “like a great rock falling into a lake, the ripples that is caused spread far, and they will continue to do so for years to come (Thompson 2)
When Priestley was sixteen he left school and worked in a firm of wool merchants, but joined the army and served in the First World War, (1914-18) on the front line in France. He was wounded and gassed.
Tolkien, J. R. R., and Douglas A. Anderson. The Lord of the Rings. Boston: Houghton Mifflin,
Change can be shown in many different ways through objects and persons. So how is change shown in The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien? It could be Bilbo, seen as it is, he is at first looked upon as a “cowardly” fellow who was scared to go ten feet from his hole. But as time grew throughout the adventure, it became noticeable how much Bilbo had change since the beginning of the trip. So overall, the theme of change in The Hobbit is, in fact, shown most through Bilbo because in the beginning of the story, he is hesitant and scared to go through with adventure, in the middle, he is starting to believe he can do it and risks himself, and by the end, he is showing bravery, and sometimes stupidity, above everything else. He had changed from an apprehensive Bilbo, to a courageous Bilbo by the end of the tale.
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born on January 3, 1892 in Bloemfontein, South Africa. He studied at Oxford pursuing a degree in English language and literature. This later gave him the thought of creating his own imagined world known as Middle-Earth. He then later married Edith Bratt, had four children, and became a professor at Oxford. The Hobbit, first published in 1937, had some of Tolkien’s invented language and mythology. The plot and character’s of The Hobbit combined the ancient heroic Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian epics, which he studied at Oxford. The Hobbit “is immersed in folk tradition” (Matthews). The character Bilbo Baggins was inspired by the rural Englishman of the 1930s. Tolkien was inspired by ancient European myths leading him to write Lord of the Rings, a prequel to The Hobbit. On September 2,1973, J.R.R. Tolkien died at the age of eighty-one.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien, is the first book in the fantasy-based trilogy of the Lord of the Rings. The book begins with Bilbo Baggins celebrating his one hundred and eleventh birthday. After his party, he then decides to leave everything behind and join a Fellowship, which has a task of destroying the ruling ring, which will give supreme power to whoever has possession of it.
Print. The. Tolkien, J. R. R. The Fellowship of the Ring. First Ballantine Books Ed.
The Hobbit, written by John R. R. Tolkien, is a fantasy novel published on September 21, 1937. It was written as a prelude to the famous series, The Lord of the Rings, written seventeen years later. The Hobbit introduces the reader to an incredibly immersive fantasy world, that enriches the reader into its epic storyline. The story takes place in a land called Middle-earth, a land filled with enchanting surprises and magical wonders. It was the perfect playground for Tolkien to develop his main character Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo Baggins was a small hobbit, who unaware in the beginning would become a large role in the plot. It is through this character that Tolkien implemented the theme of heroism into the story. Bilbo’s unexpected adventure with the dwarves and the wizard gave him the opportunity to develop into the ultimate hero of Tolkien’s tale. Bilbo’s epic journey to become the hero of the story begins when Gandalf, the wizard, tells Bilbo of an expedition that would soon change his life forever.
Tolkien, J.R.R. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. New York, New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1954. Print.
J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973) gained a reputation during the 1960’s and 1970’s as a cult figure among youths disillusioned with war and the technological age. His continuing popularity evidences his ability to evoke the oppressive realities of modern life while drawing audiences into a fantasy world.
The First World War introduced a new type of warfare. New weapons were combined with old strategies and tactics. Needless to say, the results were horrific. However, a new type of warfare was introduced: trench warfare. In the movie War Horse, the character that owned the horse originally while he worked on his farm, Albert Narracott, finally was old enough to join the army. His first sight of battle was the Battle of Somme which took place in France near the Somme River. During this battle, the British troops start out in trenches, which were pretty much tunnels dug strategically to avoid gunfire. The soldiers would wait until they were told to advance, and they would run from one trench to the next. Trenches and the area between trenches were muddy and the trenches themselves were poorly conditioned (http://www.pbs.org/greatwar/chapters/ch1_trench.html). Many of the soldiers who fought in trenches succumbed to a foot disease called trench foot and if not treated immediately, gangrene could infect the foot and an amputation would be necessary for survival. Commanding officers ordered one or t...
J.R.R Tolkien’s work of fiction The Lord of the Rings, have with the advent of Peter Jackson’s film adaptation brought the series to newfound heights of fame. As with many works of it’s kind, The Lord of the Rings depicts a battle between good and evil, with the main characters in the books striving to thwart evil’s plan. In many other works, the author’s personal belief system or worldview drives the narrative, with the message being paramount and the characters the vehicles of conveyance for the point of the story. C.S Lewis, a friend and contemporary of Tolkien’s, is a prime example of this. Lewis’ popular series The Chronicles of Narnia is an allegorical work, teaching Christian principles through the use of fiction. While raised as a Catholic himself, Tolkien does not explicitly promote his religious background, nor does he engage in allegory. However, Tolkien’s views of morality can be found throughout the work, specifically in the way in which evil is portrayed, the use of power and moral freedom of choice. Randel Helms writes in his book, Tolkien’s World, “Tolkien’s particular myth parallels his Christianity, … positioning a malevolent and corrupting outside influence, spiritual and probably eternal, against which man is doomed to fight, but which he has no hope of conquering” (67).
To begin with, the content of “Lord of the Rings” and “The House of the Scorpion” is greatly influenced by the author’s personal influences. Notably, “The Lord of the Rings” was greatly influenced during the time J.R.R Tolkien was a soldier on the battlefield of World War One. The protagonist of the novel Frodo departs on a journey through Mordor to destroy the one ring and save Middle Earth is relatable to how J.R.R Tolkien’s fought on the battlefield to save his country. Furthermore, J.R.R Tolkien’s friends that died in the war surface in the sense of loss that suffuses the story due to the numerous deaths caused by the two antagonists Sauron and Saruman. Likewise, “The House of the Scorpion” was also greatly influenced by the author, although by contrast, “The House of the Scorpion” was influenced because of Nancy Farmer’s isolation in her childhood, whereas “The Lord of the Rings” was greatly influenced because of J.R.R Tolkien's time spent on the battlefields o...