Leaf By Niggle Analysis

In J.R.R. Tolkien’s essay “On Fairy Stories and his short story “Leaf by Niggle” illustrate his concept of sub-creation. The two works complement each other very well. Particularly, the story presents Tolkien’s thoughts about art, expressing oneself, and responsibility toward neighbors. “Leaf by Niggle” illustrates an insightful depiction of the author himself, it also manifests the view of secondary worlds. Furthermore, it presents inspiration for artists, writers, scholars, and all who engage in constructive labor, and provides guidance to those who are under the pressure of too much work.
The origins of fairy stories are as ancient as language itself. In the “On Fairy Stories”, J.R.R. Tolkien attempts to provide answers to the questions

that the public has about fairy stories. Tolkien describes a fairy story as:
A “fairy-story” is one which touches on or uses Faerie, whatever its own main purpose may be: satire, adventure, morality, fantasy. Faerie itself may perhaps most nearly be translated by Magic — but it is magic of a peculiar mood and power, at the furthest pole from the vulgar devices of the laborious, scientific, magician. There is one proviso: if there is any satire present in the tale, one thing must not be made fun of, the magic itself. That must in that story be taken seriously, neither laughed at nor explained away (Tolkien 114, “On Fairy Stories”).
For Tolkien, a fairy story is a tale that places the reader in a magical, enchanted, fictional land where he or she questions if magic is possible. This is the type of world Tolkien wants to create, and which he has created in many of his works. Tolkien dubbed these worlds as “secondary worlds,” their significance is for the reader to escape their current world and dive into a desirable world. Most likely every writer creating a secondary world aspires in a way to be a true, genuine creator, by mapping on top of reality. Ideally, the secondary world created by an author should imitate the created world in which he or she lives.
“Leaf by Niggle” is a short story written by J.R.R. Tolkien, it was first published in The Dublin Review in January1945. It can also be found in Tolkien’s book titled Tree and Leaf. This is well-known because the book, which contains “On Fairy Stories” and “Leaf by Niggle,” proposes the fundamental philosophy of most of Tolkien’s fantastical writings. “Leaf by Niggle” could be an allegory of Tolkien’s own imaginative process, and possibly, of his own life.
“Leaf by Niggle” begins with a painter named Niggle, in his mind he envisions a gigantic tree with green, gleaming leaves with dew surrounded by a luscious forest. All Niggle wants is to paint this vision, but he persistently intruded by his neighbor and by disturbances of other responsibilities. Before he can finish his illustrious, grand painting, Niggle is sent on an unexpected journey. This journey leads him to a place where he is forced to do laborious work and to relax. After a long time Niggle hears voices conversion about him. They send him to a vast, exposed landscape with a magnificent tree, which Niggle soon understands that this tree was his own vision. Niggle comes to a realization that he would need help from his neighbor, Parish, in order to complete the painting. After completing the painting, Niggle treks onto his next stage in the mountains, while Parish stays behind for his wife. In Niggle’s hometown, he is considered shortly as a minor painter and then forgotten completely. In his new town, his completed masterpiece has developed into an invigorating “pit-stop” for travelers.
As mentioned before, J.R.R. Tolkien’s “On Fairy Stories” and “Leaf by Niggle” share the common concept of sub-creation. Tolkien’s concept of sub-creation may be defined as the process of creating an imaginary or secondary world, contrasting from the primary world but coherent. Using this definition roughly, one may consider any artist as a sub-creator, a secondary world does not only have to be strictly contained in a story, but also in a painting, a song, a dance, or a play. In short words, sub-creation refers to the ability of creating another world that the reader believes could be reality:
“An essential power of Faerie is thus the power of making immediately effective by the will the visions of ‘fantasy.’ Not all are beautiful or even wholesome, not at any rate the fantasies of fallen Man. And he has stained the elves who have this power (in verity or fable) with his own stain. This aspect of ‘mythology’ —sub-creation, rather than either representation or symbolic interpretation of the beauties and terrors of the world—is, I think, too little considered” (Tolkien 122, “On Fairy Stories”).
J.R.R. Tolkien continues to talk about sub-creation and how it relates to the Gospels and Creation. He mentions that the Gospels contain a fairy story, or a story of a greater form which adopts all the quintessence of fairy stories. “They contain many marvels—peculiarly artistic, beautiful, and moving: ‘mythical’ in their perfect, self-contained significance; and among the marvels is the greatest and most complete conceivable eucatastrophe” (Tolkien 155-156, “On Fairy Stories”).
Turning now to “Leaf by Niggle”, the reader may find many of these ideas of sub-creation.

The most obvious one is the artist Niggle and how in many ways, he is a representation of J.R.R. Tolkien himself. One evident connection between them is their imaginative thinking process and works. Tolkien strived to create something similar to Niggle’s painting, something monumental and exalted. For a long time, Tolkien has been working on the intricate history, the elaborate mythology and the multifarious language of Middle-earth. He kept adding, removing, and modifying certain parts and/or characters. Similarly, Niggle also worked tediously on his painting. Niggle is described as exceeding his limit, he tries to paint pictures “too large and ambitious for his skill” (Tolkien 81, “Leaf by Niggle”). Similarly, Tolkien was tentative about his own skills and ability to finish the colossal project he had started. In the tale, Niggle’s hard work and determination finally paid off and was praised, just like Tolkien. If an artist keeps ploughing on, he or she can bring their vision into a reality. On the other hand, Niggle throughout his first life procrastinates. He has a plethora of chores and tasks to do, but lacks the energy and patience to do them in a fashionable manner. As a penalty, Niggle is sent to a place where he is forced to do chores in his second life; he must complete all the tasks he “put off” and/or abandoned during his first life. Continuing this long and drab process, Niggle starts to feel contentment at completely finishing these small tasks. Eventually as a sub-creator, he understands that he must care for and assist those around him, even though he once did not. Once Niggle comes to completing these tasks, he may pick up where he left off and finish his painting. At the end of the tale, Niggle’s leaf cultivates into “a Tree that was alive, its leaves opening, its branches growing and bending in the wind” (Tolkien 94, “Leaf by

Niggle”).
Both “On Fairy Stories” and “Leaf by Niggle” share the common theme of sub-creation and making a secondary world. In “On Fairy Stories” J.R.R. Tolkien makes the magnificent claim that art has the power to take the inexperienced and foolish soul of youth and transform it into something wise and dignified. Possibly, the theme of “Leaf by Niggle” is that everyone is capable of imagining something beautiful. At least everyone should grant themselves the chance to react and engulf in the beauty that this world holds. Otherwise it is a bleak world out there drowning in its repulsiveness.