The Influences of Tolkien The influences of Tolkien are many and great, but of them all, three stand out most; his great love of nature that sprung from his experiences as a youth in the English Countryside, his acute sensitivity and desire to master language, and his involvement in trench warfare in the Great War. Tolkien himself vehemently denied that the war affected his story at all. 'The real war does not resemble the legendary war its process or conclusion. If I had been inspired or directed in the development of the legend, then certainly the ring would have been seized and used against Sauron.'; Tolkien's love of language persisted throughout his life from his child hood years till adulthood. When he was a boy he would study Welsh names that would rush by on railway coal cars, a...
Throughout your life, you will be taken out of your comfort zone with many challenges and uncertainties. This is shown in The Hobbit, The Lightning Thief, and through my grandfather’s immigration story from Germany. Bilbo was taken on an adventure that took him beyond his normal comfort zone. He loved the familiarity of his hobbit-hole until Gandalf and the dwarves arrived at his door. The Hobbit contained many relatable moments about life, which can be explored through the novel, other people’s lives, and other works of fiction.
With over ten battles, it is obvious that war plays an important part in The Lord of the Rings. However, even in this case, all roads lead to Augustine as he is credited for being the creator of what we know as the Just War Theory. Augustine was a fifteenth century theologian and Bishop of Hippo. His views on warfare and morals were especially imperative to the Christian development of the Just War Theory values. However, Tolkien also had fairly strong feelings about war, as having spent a part of his life in the trenches of World War I; and as a devout Catholic, he was a believer of Augustine’s Just War Theory. Did Tolkien himself incorporate this theory into his own writings of The Lord of the Rings? By examining the Battle of Helm’s Deep, the answer is no.
The paper will begin with a look at the life of Tolkien. This will serve the purpose of providing some context for the novel. Looking into the life of Tolkien will also serve to give the reader some insight into the mind that gave birth to such a rich land and why the novel may have some importance for sufferers of mental illness. Next will likely be a short summation of the
Tolkien, John Ronald Reuel, Humphrey Carpenter, and Christopher Tolkien. The Letters Of J.R.R. Tolkien. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), 1981. Web. .
Kroeber, Karl. "Tolkien, J. R. R. (1892-1973)." British Writers: Supplement 2. Ed. George Stade. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1992. 519-536. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 3 Mar. 2014.
Kroeber, Karl. “J.R.R. Tolkien”. British Writers. Ed. George Stade, New York: Gale Research, 1980. 519-521
A man that once incorporated the ideas and viewpoints of past events such as WWII and the renowned epic of Beowulf, has impacted many in his works as an author. All of which, political views, personal experiences, and opinions in events within history were all included. He had an imagination like which of Joanne Rowling, the author of the “Harry Potter” series, or George R. R. Martin, the author of “A Game of Thrones”. His style of writing was more of an interpretation of his mind than just pure fantasy. His books were to tell a story, informing while also generating interest. He was also Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford University, as well as Merton Professor of English Language and Literature there. He was born in Bloemfontein, Orange Free State, and was Commander of the Order of the British Empire. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor. Tolkien, with his books “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy and “The Hobbit” and many other stories, was definitely a very influential British author.
Carpenter, Humphery, Christopher Tolkien and J.R.R. Tolkien. The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000. Print.
"Three Rings for the Eleven-kings under the sky, Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone, Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die, One for the Dark Lord on his Dark throne, In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie. One Ring to rule them all, One ring to find them, One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them, In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie(Tolkien)." Master of storytelling J.R.R. Tolkien continues the lives of the fictitious creatures that he introduced in The Hobbit, in his modern classic The Fellowship of the Ring. He artfully illustrates the truths of the evil that plague the hearts of man. He tells a story of greed, destruction and how mortal men are enslaved by their delusions of grander and how they feast upon the misery of others to elevate their own pitiful egos, that prove to be their worst vices.
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.
Tolkien, J. R. R. The Hobbit, Or, There and Back Again. New York: Ballantine, 1982. Print
In comparing and contrasting the Arthurian Legends and J.R.R. Tolkien’s book The Fellowship of the Ring, it is almost like a medieval contest between the two with many of the similarities coming from the customs of the Middle Ages. A look at the make up of the groups involved, the moral code, the protagonist, the antagonist, the use of supernatural elements and the knightly quest involved in each book shows how alike they are but yet different.
Tolkien created this mythical series based on his love and knowledge of Anglo-Saxon literature. There were many inspirations he brought from Beowulf into his books. Through these Anglo-Saxon inspired themes, he brought out the best elements in all of his characters and his own plots and themes throughout the whole Lord of The Rings series.
he Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring is a fantasy novel set in an entirely different time period and in an extraordinarily different world. This story is part of a trilogy that transitions seamlessly into the ending of the prequel book, “The Hobbit.” At the end of “The Hobbit,” Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit, a hobbit is a half-sized human, comes home from an adventure and during his journey, he manages to obtain a magical ring. This ring is magical because when you happen to wear it, you turn invisible. It also had the power to prolong the life of the wearer. The start of the Fellowship begins with Bilbo's 111th birthday and Bilbo is getting ready to leave the Shire. The Shire is the region of Middle-Earth where the hobbits reside. Middle-Earth is the continent in which this story takes place. So Bilbo is looking to leave the Shire and wants to leave his possessions with his cousin, Frodo Baggins, who is much younger then he is. Amongst these possessions is the magical ring. Bilbo has second thoughts about giving Frodo the ring but is talked into doing so by his good friend Gandalf the Grey. Gandalf the Grey is one of a few powerful wizards that inhabit Middle-Earth.
A fantasy is an imaginary world where all things imaginable can be brought to life. J.R.R Tolkien portrayed fantasy through his use of skilled craftsmanship and a vivid imagination, which was presented in each piece of literature he wrote. In Tolkien's two stories The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings we see the theme of fantasy brought to life through three essential elements, heroism, magic and retribution. Heroism is shown through the character's courage and bravery in situations where conflict arises and this enables them to be seen in a new light. Magic is a form of extraordinary power seemingly through a supernatural force; it is used in a combination of combat and mystical items to aid the companions on their journey. Retribution is paid to the evil forces for the wrongs society had to endure while they were allowed to dominate. This system allows opportunity for physical and mental development in the characters and the aspect of fantasy to come to life.