Two Sides of the Same Coin

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Recommended: Reading Approach

When it comes to disagreeable people, you’ll find that readers fit the description best. This is due to books being such controversial things, leading to legendary debates. All readers have their own individual opinions however, the one fact that readers can agree on is that two books are never the same. However, is this true? What if books are merely two sides of the same coin? Close but always apart. Mirroring one another but always showing an individual flaw. That is exactly the case between the novel, “The Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R Tolkien and “The House of the Scorpion” by Nancy Farmer. This is due to protagonists are scorned because of being insignificant in size or society, and although by different means both protagonists have heavy influences in the novel.

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...

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... Matt because without learning equality, if he were in someone else’s shoes he would be just like everyone who treated Matt as a monster. If not for the influential figures in Matt’s life Matt would still be struggling with things like bullies, prejudice, making friends, love, growing older, and making decisions for himself.

In conclusion, books are merely two sides of the same coin. Although all sharing similar qualities they are unique in their own ways. Considering this there is a perfect example between the two novels, “The Lord of the Rings” and “The House of the Scorpion” owing to the fact that both books although by different means, are greatly influenced by the author’s influences, both main characters are scorned because of being insignificant in size or society, and although by in different forms both main characters have heavy influences in the novel.

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