When reading any fictional writing by J.R.R. Tolkien, there is no doubt that he deeply admired and paid close attention to the environment. In light of this common observation, there is a conversation to be had as to what purpose this showcase has. While part of the reasoning may be that he simply can not help injecting such a potent influence in his life into his work, I would argue that there are more underlying reasons. In this essay, I will delve into the idea that, through his depictions of nature and his character’s interactions with this environment, Tolkien is personifying and memorializing his deep respect for nature and value of stewardship. With the support of various scholarly discussions along similar veins, as well as writing …show more content…
One of the most prominent examples of stewardship, and explanations of its meaning to Tolkien, is the character of Tom Bombadil. Although “"the trees and the grasses and all things growing or living in the land belong each to themselves[,] Tom Bombadil is the Master" (Fellowship 161)” Being “the master” here, however, does not imply that Bombadil manipulates the land to work for his own purposes. He instead leaves nature to be its own being, with its own morals and goals. Being “the Master” of the land means that he has been appointed to take care of it, to help it grow in conjunction with animals and humans, ensuring a symbiotic relationship. Former English professor Lucas Niiler points out physical and behavioral tendencies of the hobbits in Tolkien’s writing that show their stewardship in the Shire. The hobbit’s short stature and constant barefootedness physically link them to their environment, and their agricultural work requires faithful stewardship of …show more content…
The second function that fantasy serves, pertaining to perceptions of nature, is “escape.” This ties almost directly into the idea of recovering a new sense of amazement in nature, as Tolkien was (and is) well-known for his dislike of industrialization and its creations of highly mechanized and technologically advanced cities. For Tolkien, fantasy was an escape into a world where these developments could be — in his eyes appropriately — villainized. Throughout his most famous works, such as The Lord of the Rings (1954-55), the epitome of evil is consistently those who have no care for the environment, those who destroy the nature they are surrounded by, and those who will stop at nothing to reach their goals. In light of this opinion on his world, fantasy for Tolkien provided an escape, and he wrote it in such a way that he hoped his readers would feel disconnected from the real world enough to understand the values of it despite its downfalls. The third and final action that Tolkien wrote in his book was
...to his own possessions and how his journey made him open his eyes up to a deeper meaning of life. The evil in the story were just test, trying to get Bilbo to give up and go back to his life of comfort, but he didn't he went on to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Tolkien wanted to show the reader how we can overcome our flaws in life such as greed, and temptation by stepping out of our comfort zone.
Tolkien, J. R. R., and Alan Lee. The hobbit ; The Lord of the Rings. London: HarperCollins, 2010. Print.
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
Perceptions of the natural world have fluctuated throughout humanity’s short time on this earth, going in and out of style as societies and technologies have grown and died. As is the the very nature of literature itself, literature and its authors have managed to capture these shifting views, expressed and illustrated by the art of written word. Naturally, the literature chosen for us to read based on this fluid theme of nature encompasses an array of perspectives. One of these views is that nature is sublime and above all else, a reflection of all that which is perfection. Another is that nature is cold, uncaring, and indifferent to the vanities of humanity.
Byers, Paula K. Ed. “J.R.R. Tolkien”. Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gake Research, 1998. 259-260
Tolkien, J. R. R., and Douglas A. Anderson. The Lord of the Rings. Boston: Houghton Mifflin,
In Tolkien world, evil is the antithesis of creativity, and is dependent on destruction and ruin for its basis. Conversely, goodness is associated with the beauty of creation as well as the preservation of anything that is created. The symbolic nature of these two ideologies is represented in the Elven Rings, which symbolize goodness, and the One Ring, which is wholly evil. A main theme of "The Hobbit", then, is the struggle within our own free will between good will and evil. "Early in the (Lord of the Rings) narrative, Frodo recalls that his uncle Bilbo, especially during his later years, was fond of declaring that… there was only one Road; that it was lik...
According to The New York Times, “The United States has less than 5 percent of the world's population. But it has almost a quarter of the world's prisoners.” Let's face it, the U.S is imprisoning way too many people, because of three main reasons: harsher drug-related crime sentences, lack of prisoner's resources, and racial profiling.
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).
Print. The. Tolkien, J. R. R. The Fellowship of the Ring. First Ballantine Books Ed.
The first major theme in The Hobbit is greed. Greed is represented as evil, it doesn 't matter how big of a hero someone is or how great someone is anyone can fall victim to it. Tolkien illustrates the powerful effect
Tolkien, J. R. R., and Christopher Tolkien. The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009. Print.
J.R.R. Tolkien's concept of too much power is summed up by Lord Acton when he once said, "Power corrupts, but absolute power corrupts absolutely." In Tolkien's first book of his fantasy based trilogy, Lord of the Rings, the Fellowship of the Rings tells a story of a quest to destroy a powerful ring throughout Tolkien's created "Middle Earth". This quest was headed by a "Hobbit" named Frodo Baggins who, in the end, becomes corrupted by power himself. This corruption begins when Frodo uses his ring to become invisible over and over again to escape certain situations. The quest to destroy the powerful "Ruling Ring" forms the basis for this story.
Nature is often a focal point for many author’s works, whether it is expressed through lyrics, short stories, or poetry. Authors are given a cornucopia of pictures and descriptions of nature’s splendor that they can reproduce through words. It is because of this that more often than not a reader is faced with multiple approaches and descriptions to the way nature is portrayed. Some authors tend to look at nature from a deeper and personal observation as in William Wordsworth’s “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”, while other authors tend to focus on a more religious beauty within nature as show in Gerard Manley Hopkins “Pied Beauty”, suggesting to the reader that while to each their own there is always a beauty to be found in nature and nature’s beauty can be uplifting for the human spirit both on a visual and spiritual level.
Tolkien, J.R.R.. “Now Read On…” Interview by Dennis Gerrolt. BBC Radio 4. BBC, 1971. Web. 11 Jan. 2014.