Not many have never heard of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Set in a prehistoric era, Tolkien invented a world made up of humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, trolls, and hobbits (Doughan MBE). His works, while not without criticism, have captured the imaginations of many and are highly regarded by the general population. He created an entirely new mythology, which is no small feat. Tolkien, by immersing readers in a world complete with its own history, languages, and culture, would influence the fantasy genre for years to come. J.R.R. Tolkien, who was born on the third of January in 2017 in Bloemfontein, South Africa (“J.R.R. Tolkien”), was a scholar of the English language, mostly focusing on Old and Middle
Tolkien’s book, The Hobbit, starts with the well-known line: “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit” (1). This famous statement was first thought up when Tolkien, a professor, was marking examination papers (Doughan MBE). He found that one page of one of the answer books was left blank and wrote what would become the opening line to The Hobbit (Doughan MBE). The Hobbit follows Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit, as he goes on an unexpected journey to Erebor, the mountain that the dwarves once lived in. Smaug, a dragon, had taken over Erebor, holding the gold and the dwarves’ treasures captive in their, now his, mountain. This causes the dwarves to ask Gandalf the Grey, a wizard, for his help and to find a burglar. The burglar would steal the Arkenstone, the dwarves’ greatest treasure, right from under Smaug’s nose. Of course, Gandalf would enlist Bilbo, a simple, mild-mannered hobbit, to carry out this daunting task (The Hobbit). This story probably became far more popular than Tolkien would have expected. It has an almost inexplicable charm to it. Perhaps it is the way Bilbo, an ordinary hobbit, is thrust from a safe and normal life in his home into an exciting and dangerous world, or the way Tolkien seems to write it as if he were a historian, writing Bilbo’s biography, or perhaps readers simply found the concept of hobbits fascinating and wanted to learn more about
As a result, her works have been influenced by that of Tolkien as well. In her series The Song of the Lioness, she portrays a young woman named Alanna, who was similar to Tolkien’s Éowyn in that they both “were raised in environments that led to them identifying not with the stereotypical position of a Lady of their status, but that of a shield maiden” (Curry). Also, similar to George R.R. Martin, Pierce has attempted to correct the issues she found with Tolkien’s book in her own writing, stating that “what I wanted to read was girls having adventures and girls kicking butt” (Curry). Pierce is one of many examples of fantasy authors who were partial to Tolkien’s works as children and borrowed elements from his
In a world of myth and magic where wizards, hobbits, and dragons dwell, and evil lord rules but long ago he lost his Ring of Rower. In the beginning of the book, The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien, starts when Bible, the second hobbit to posses the ring, gives the ring to his heir Frodo. The bulk of the story is about the origins of the journey of many years to destroy Frodo’s inheritance. The reason he desires so fervently to obliterate it is because it is evil, crafted for nefarious ruler, and created to control nineteen other magic rings. This paper will first discuss Middle-Earth, then some of the main characters, and finally the threefold parts of the endurance the Frodo displays. (Tolkien)
Tolkien has created a world in which millions of people can go to escape to. He wrote stories that expand and capture the mind as you follow the fellowship, or as you learn of Bilbo’s next action. He created a rich back story to his world, creating myths as if the world he created has existed for millennia. He created Hobbits and Dwarves. Tolkien brought mystery and magic to the world stage, and that is why he is deserving of the title “father of modern fantasy”.
“Sometimes we need fantasy to survive reality” (Unknown). Humans as a species have become captivated by stories and subsequently have become the storytelling animal. We look to stories to find meaning to our lives and as a way to understand the reality we face every day, as a means of enjoyment and as an integral part of our existence. Published in 1937, J.R.R Tolkien’s The Hobbit tells the story of an unlikely hero, a hobbit by the name of Bilbo Baggins as he sets out on an adventure with thirteen dwarves to recover a lost treasure guarded by the dragon Smaug. This beloved classic has defined the high fantasy genre and provided an escape from reality for many of its readers. Tolkien effectively uses the tone of wonder
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, better known as J.R.R. Tolkien, was born on January 3, 1892, in Bloemfontein, South Africa.(Biography.com, J.R.R. Tolkien) Most of Tolkien's family life lived in poverty. He later came to write a series of books and became very successful. One of his novels came to be The Hobbit written in 1954 and came to be finished in 1955. Tolkien created what we call “Middle-earth” out of Middle English. Before the people had the use of insulin available, diabetes was very fatal to most people. In the year of 1904 Tolkien’s mother was diagnosed with diabetes. She later died on November 14, 1904. She orphaned her two sons. Both boys were housed with an unsympathetic aunt, by marriage. (Britannica, J.R.R. Tolkien) Tolkien already
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.
J.R.R. Tolkien Research Paper As many have grown up during this generation, they have been dazzled by the work of J.R.R. Tolkien as well as the artistic interpretation of this trilogy by Peter Jackson. This movement started when Tolkien created The Hobbit and then later the Lord of the Rings trilogy in the 1930’s, 1940’s and 1950’s. However, there are those who have criticized both the books and the cinema for being sexist and/or racist. Tolkien is not sexist because he develops his female characters by revealing their individualism and dynamic features, and is also not a racist because much of the criticism comes from Peter Jackson’s interpretations and because racism is harshly looked upon more in this generation than it was back in the 1940’s.
The first important place they went in the hobbit is bilbo’s hobbit hole .In the hobbit hole it really tells who the characters are and ,what their personalities are.It also tells what adventure’s they’re going to go on ,and it explains really how Bilbos personality is like, his tookish and and Baggins side between his mom and his dad.He also claims his fear of dragons ,and it just explains how Bilbo loves to go on missions ,and since he goes on the
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.
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien is an exciting story about a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins that goes on an adventure with Gandalf and dwarves. Throughout their journey they face many obstacles and challenges. One theme in the story is, “Bravery can come in many shapes and sizes.” Another theme in the story can be, “Sometimes it is good to try new things.” These themes are shown throughout the story as Bilbo shows acts of bravery.
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.
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in South Africa to a rather well to do banker. His early life was comfortable if middle class, but it lasted only a few years. His father died before he was five, and Tolkien spent the majority of his remaining life in what he called "genteel poverty." His linguistic genius emerged around the age of eight while his mother was tutoring him in Greek and Latin. It was around this time that Tolkien began devising a language of his own which would later develop into Elvish--a language complete with poetry and history, but not yet a people. In 1904, his mother died, leaving him and his brother orphaned and in the charge of a Catholic priest in Birmingham. Through this priest, the direction of his life would emerge. He met his future wife in the boarding house where the priest had him and his younger brother lodged. Also while in the boarding house he merited a scholarship to King Edward VI High School with the recommendation of the same priest. In high school, h...
There is no doubt that John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was an exceptional writer. Today, he is considered the father of modern fantasy literature. However, he did not start off as this extraordinary writer; rather, Tolkien worked his way up until he attained this status. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born on January 3rd of 1892 in a South African province. At an early age, his mother, Mabel, took him and his younger brother, Hilary, on a family visit to England; however, before his father, Arthur, could join them in England, Arthur had died from rheumatic fever. Without an income, Mabel took her children to live with her in Kings Heath with her parents. Mabel sparked John Ronald Reuel Tolkien’s interests in botany, drawing, and fantasy stories. Eventually, type I diabetes caught up with Mabel and at the age of 34 she died. As Tolkien became older, he began to write literary essays about middle-earth. He also is the author of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Critics and historians often debate The Lord of the Rings Trilogy’s depictions of evil characters, often classifying J.R.R Tolkien as being a racist and a sexist or defending J.R.R. Tolkien by stating that his character descriptions were merely used to advance the plot and add an exotic atmosphere to the trilogy; however, after evaluating this assertion it is clear that J.R.R. Tolkien is not a racist and a sexist and is simply a unique fantasy writer because these comments are inconsistent with his characters, as shown through his writing style, personality, and the era.
The most famous work in the epic fantasy genre is The Lord of the Rings, written by J. R. R. Tolkien over the course of ten years and published in 1954. Over the last few decades, there has been a lot of controversy over whether or not a story in this genre could be considered a valuable literary work. It was suggested that fantasy was clichéd and too unrealistic to be in touch with the daily life. However, when one reads between the lines, one can find a different interpretation within the same story; an interpretation that might not be as clichéd and farfetched as one might think. While it is often claimed that literary works in the genre fantasy cannot have any literary value, the The Lord of the Rings-trilogy contains the beautiful, the true and the good (Flood) and therefore is original, is historical or ethical relevant and has human truth value, which are necessary qualities for a literary work to be valuable.
Tolkien describes, "It had a perfectly round door . . . the door opened on to a tube-shaped hall
Murray, Roxane Farrell. "The Lord of the Rings as Myth." Unpublished thesis. The University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 1974.