Aldrich, Kevin. "The Sense of Time in Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings."
Tolkien: a Celebration. Ed. By Joseph Pearce. San Francisco:
Ignatius, 1999. 86-101.
Auden, W. H. "The Lord of the Rings Succeeds on a Mythic Scale."
Readings on J. R. R. Tolkien. Ed. by Katie de Koster. San Diego, CA:
Greenhaven, 2000. 123-127.
Auden says Tolkien’s quest is still relevant and that he maintains
historical and social reality. "The difficulty of presenting a complete
picture of reality lies in the gulf between the subjective real, a man’s
experience of his own existence, and the objective real, his experience of
the lives and others and the world about him" (124). Personal reality
consists of a series of choices. The journey obviously objectifies an inner
quest; people rarely leave home for one year at a time and a story about
their "reality" would seem more naturalistic, more like a documentary. ***
Topics supported: relevance, quest, nature of hero, predestination
vs. free will
Auden, W. H. "The Quest Hero." Tolkien and the Critics: Essays on J.
R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Ed. by Neil D.
Isaacs and Rose A. Zimbardo. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press,
1968. 40-61.
Auden identifies what qualifies as a True Quest. He claims man needs both
the Road (a quest, the future, experiences we have not yet had) and the City
(home, the past). He delineates essential elements of the quest, two types
of quest heroes, and several variants on the quest story. Tolkien does not
provide a simplistic "happily ever after" ending. He differentiates between
the dream world and the imaginary world. **
Topics supported: quest, heroism, imagination
Bergmann, Frank. "The Roots of Tolkien’s Tree: The Influence of George
MacDonald and German Romanticism upon Tolkien’s Essay ‘On Fairy Stories.’"
Faerie, Fantasy and Pseudo-Mediaevalia in 20th Century Literature.
Ed. By John Wortley. Winnepeg, Canada: University of Manitoba Press, 1977.
Blumberg, Janet Leslie. "The Literary Backgrounds of The Lord of the
Rings." Celebrating Middle-earth: The Lord of the Rings as a
Defense of Western Civilization. Ed. By John G. West. Seattle: Inkling
Books, 2002. 53-82.
Blumberg says Tolkien’s sources were Homer, the Scriptures, and Norse
sagas. "The language and the culture [of Old English] alike seems to reflect
the harshness of life in the far North" (54). The Fellowship is like the
hearth companions of Anglo Saxons. Anglo-Saxon literature anticipated defeat
in the last battle [the declining world view]. Tolkien is much like the
probably Christian author of Beowolf in composing The Lord of the
Rings. He discusses the influence of elegiac poetry from that time
period. He falls into preachiness, but also acknowledges the special
significance of Tree in Anglo-Saxon literature. The poetry in The Lord of
the Rings based on Germanic strong-stress meter, contrasts the fatalism
of the Nordic world that believes a strong evil will ultimately defeat good
with the Christian view of a good God creating all or dualism that suggests
good and evil are matched. He also says the high medieval influences were
the Pearl and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and also the
medieval world view including courtly love. He compares Star Wars,
Harry Potter, and The Lord of the Rings in their views of evil. He
discusses the sea as metaphor (from Old English poetry) of desire beyond
this world for Christians, heaven. ***
Topics supported: sources, declining world view, doom of immortality,
the Sea
Bradley, Marion Zimmer. "Men, Halfings, and Hero-Worship." Critics.
109-127.
Caldecott, Stratford. "Over the Chasm of Fire: Christian Heroism in
The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings." Celebration.
17-33.
Carter, Lin. Tolkien: a Look behind The Lord of the Rings.
New York: Ballantine, 1969.
Chance, Jane. The Mythology of Power: Lord of the Rings. Revised
Edition. Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky, 2001.
Colbert, David. The Magical Worlds of The Lord of the Rings.
New York: Berkley, 2002.
Coulombe, Charles A. "The Lord of the Rings—A Catholic View."
Celebration. 53-66.
Crabbe, Katharyn F. J. R. R. Tolkien. New York: Frederick Ungar,
1981.
Crabbe, Katharyn F. "The Nature of Heroism in a Comic World." Readings.
54-60.
Crabbe discusses Bilbo’s heroism, the common man with no special traits
willing to risk for others. He explores the nature of good and evil and
heroism. He labels Bilbo as a low-mimetic hero (inferior to his environment)
and connects both Bilbo and Gandalf to Christ in their willingness to return
to the Misty Mountains after escaping to try to rescue others. On the issue
of predestination vs. free will, Crabbe says, "Both God and man have a hand
in shaping all that happens," (56) and he explains how. As a hero, Bilbo
matures into the role of leader, not loner, and eventually acknowledges
responsibility to a wider world. Crabbe explains how Bilbo as a hero
initiates actions (does not just react) and also goes on even without hope.
Bard is compared to Aragorn as high-mimetic hero. ***
Topics supported: Bilbo’s character, heroism, predestination vs. free
will, Christian symbolism.
Curry, Patrick. "Charges of Racism in The Lord of the Rings Are
Mistaken." Readings. 104-114.
Curry counters the charges that Tolkien is a racist by pointing out the
interracial marriages and alliances between cultures/races. He discusses the
durability of hobbits, calls Sam the most genuine hobbit of the tales. He
claims hobbits are self-portraits of the English, comparing them to Orwell’s
description in the 1930’s of the British. He says Tolkien created a pastoral
ideal but not always completely flattering. Hobbits are modern in important
ways and need to be for us to associate with them. He presents criticisms of
Tolkien—class snobbery or racism and that characters are too easily divided
into good and evil. Instead Curry says Tolkien embraces "the wonder of
multicultural differences" (112) through various races and interconnections.
**
Topics supported: character of hobbits, Sam as real hero
Curry, Patrick. "Modernity in Middle-earth." Celebration. 34-39.
Curry, Patrick. Defending Middle-Earth. New York: St. Martin’s,
1997.
Dearborn, Kerry L. "Theology and Morality in The Lord of the Rings."
Celebrating. 95-102.
Tolkien’s theology is not overt, but integral to the story nevertheless.
Dearborn discusses how Tolkien awakens wonder in the reader. But he also
says, "Tolkien is not sentimental in his portrayal of life" (98). He cites
Tolkien’s experiences in WWI as influences. **
Topics supported: subcreation, Christianity
Ellwood, Gracia Fay. Good News from Tolkien’s Middle-earth. Grand
Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans, 1970.
Ellwood, Robert. Frodo’s Quest: Living the Myth in The Lord of the
Rings. Wheaton, IL: Quest, 2002.
Evans, Robley. "Care for the Earth and for Each Other." Readings.
115-122.
Evans says Tolkien’s criticism of modern society is not sarcastic but
gentle. Stories touch our emotions in ways philosophical tracts address only
the intellect. He ties Tolkien’s themes in with modern problems, such as the
ravaging of the natural environment. Evans claims Tolkien emphasizes feeling
over reason (against modern sensibility but in keeping with Western
Tradition). However, Tolkien also says society is worth saving. Evans
compares Tolkien’s stories with the Christian myth. **
Topics supported: importance of individual, purpose, choice, Bilbo
Fairburn, "J. R. R. Tolkien: A Mythology for England." Celebration.
73-85.
Flieger, Verlyn. A Question of Time: J. R. R. Tolkien’s Road to Faerie.
Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 1997.
Flieger, Verlyn. Splintered Light: Logos and Language in Tolkien’s
World. Grand Rapids: MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1983.
Fuller, Edmund. "The Lord of the Hobbits." Critics. 17-39.
Fuller examines the complexity of the world Tolkien created, compares
Tolkien’s works to Wagner’s Ring Cycle. Hobbits are uniquely Tolkien’s.
Tolkien has the ability to evoke terror and horror or laughter and joy.
Fuller analyzes Faerie as presented by Tolkien in "On Fairy Stories." He
also discusses the power of the Ring and how it could be used, the
corrupting quality of power. He claims that The Lord of the Rings,
though not religious, is nevertheless theological, exemplifying grace and
Judeo Christian virtues, using prophesies and their fulfillment as proof of
the involvement of a Supreme Being. Fuller debunks the hydrogen bomb/Ring
allegory but allows for modern correspondences for moral issues and choices
as universal. Fuller refutes Toynbee’s criticism. **
Topics supported: power, Christianity, allegory
Gasque, Thomas J. "Tolkien: The Monsters and the Critters." Critics.
151-169.
Gasque claims Tolkien’s work is permeated by Northern philosophy. He
cites from Tolkien’s essay "Beowolf and the Critics" to show the philosophy
of heroism that one may have victory but no honor (if one loses); the
fighting is futile, which mirrors the situation today. Tolkien reflects the
20th Century with cynicism and depression. Gasque believes
Tolkien’s characters, his imaginary creatures, bring the story to like. He
analyzes the changes in the elves, goblins to orcs between Hobbit and The
Lord of the Rings. He also says Bombadil is an unbelievable character,
but the Balrog and Shelob, especially since they are unaffected by the Ring,
are wonderful. Gollum fits the pattern of the wild man (like a noble
savage), beyond grace and associates him with Merlin. He also discusses how
Tolkien uses or changes traditional fairy creatures. **
Topics supported: northern myth, monsters, Gollum, 20th
century interpretation
Groggans, Phillip. "The Lord of the Rings and the Meaning of
Life." Celebrating. 103-107.
Groggans compares Woody Allen’s world view in his play God to
Tolkien’s. He claims Tolkien denies an existentialistic view. Middle-earth
is a world of order; everyone has a purpose. He discusses the issue of
freedom and compares Tolkien to Plato. For evil, there is no community. **
Topics supported: purpose, freedom, community
Grotta-Kurska, Daniel. J. R. R. Tolkien: Architect of Middle Earth.
Philadelphia, Running Press, 1976.
Gunton, Colin. "A Far-Off Gleam of the Gospel: Salvation in Tolkien’s
The Lord of the Rings." Celebration. 124-140.
Helms, Randel. Tolkien’s World. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1974.
Hooper, Walter. "The Other Oxford Movement: Tolkien and the Inklings."
Celebration. 183-189.
Hooper, Walter. "Tolkien and C. S. Lewis: An Interview with Hooper,
Walter." Celebration. 190-198.
Hughes, Daniel. "Pieties and Giant Forms in The Lord of the Rings."
Shadows of Imagination. Ed. By Mark R. Hillegas. Carbondale, IL:
Southern Illinois University Press, 1969. 81-96.
Isaacs, Neil D. "On the Possibilities of Writing Tolkien Criticism."
Critics. 1-11.
Tolkien’s popularity works against serious criticism of his work. But
Tolkien’s popularity comes from the excellence of the work, not a media
campaign. Isaacs contrasts emotional-based fandom against intellectual-based
criticism. Criticism should be based on moral systems, political
philosophies, social patterns, should evaluate allegory (or delineate the
futility of allegory) and evaluate symbols. *
Topics supported: criticism, popularity
Jeffery, Richard. "Root and Tree: The Growth of Tolkien’s Writings."
Celebration. 141-155.
Kilby, Clyde S. "Meaning in The Lord of the Rings." Shadows.
70-80.
Kilby, Clyde S. Tolkien and The Silmarillion. Wheaton, IL:
Harold Shaw, 1976.
Keenan, Hugh T. "The Appeal of The Lord of the Rings: a Struggle
for Life." Critics. 62-80.
Keenan explains Tolkien’s popularity as "the basic struggle of Life
against Death" (62) and the psychological interpretation of childhood. He
claims we should look to psychology rather than philosophy or literary
criticism for answers. Keenan based his argument on Tolkien’s works on
Norman O. Brown’s Life Against Death: The Psychoanalytical Meaning of
History. He claims technology is the enemy of humanity. Sauron is seen
as the "objectification of the fears and self-destruction (death instinct)
of the inhabitants of Middle-earth" (66). Hobbits are strongly pro-life so
are the best heroes in this type of tale. He analyzes the significance of
trees, shows parallels between Bombadil/Goldberry and Gollum/Shelob. He
claims the decay theme is particularly relevant and realistic.
Topics supported: Gollum, good vs. evil/life vs. death,
psychological interpretation
Kelly, Mary Quella. "The Poetry of Fantasy: Verse in The Lord of the
Rings." Critics. 170-200.
Kelly analyzes the poetry in The Lord of the Rings, claims it
enhances the story but also illustrates Tolkien’s diversity since he creates
poems in many different styles for the different races. Poetry (because it
is less spontaneous in our world) also sets Tolkien’s Secondary World apart.
She differentiates hobbit poetry from Bombadil’s, elves’, ents’, men’s. She
analyzes the Road Song and discusses different kinds of rhyme and sounds
within the poems. ***
Topics supported: poems, differences between races
Kocher, Paul. "Adult Themes in a Tale to Be Read to Children."
Readings. 44-53.
Kocher says The Hobbit is suitable for children but also addresses
issues of concern to adults, mentions Tolkien’s style of direct address to
listening/reading child, and also discusses Tolkien’s descriptions of each
new being and his use of sound effects (through language). The adult themes
include Bard’s claim to part of Smaug’s treasure, which is a tricky
conundrum, and the complex mixture of emotions raised by Bilbo’s encounter
with Gollum (especially after revision post The Lord of the Rings
publication), as well as the degree of seriousness of the Ring in The
Lord of the Rings. Kocher says, "as there is no alliance on behalf of
evil, so there is none against it" (52). *1/2 [since obviously there is an
alliance between dwarves, a hobbit and a wizard, who are aided along the way
by some elves (though hindered by others), men, and eagles, all of whom
fight against the goblins and wargs in the Battle of Five Armies.]
Topics supported: Bilbo’s character, adult themes, Ring, alliances
Kocker, Paul H. Master of Middle-earth: the Fiction of J. R. R.
Tolkien. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1972.
Kreeft, Peter. "Wartime Wisdom: Ten Uncommon Insights about Evil in
The Lord of the Rings." Celebrating. 31-52.
Kreeft claims evil is really disordered good but it is still real. We
want to believe good is stronger but after events of 9/11/01, we can no
longer be so positive. The release of the filmed The Lord of the Rings
was providential because it is about evil. He claims there is really only
one story: jihad, the battle between good and evil, with three stages
(Creation, Fall, Redemption; Shire, Mordor, Gray Havens). Kreeft reads
Tolkien’s work philosophically not just as a great tale, and he wants us to
be aware that we are at war even now, with evil, a very real evil. Though
9/11 was our wake-up call, our real enemies (the Black Riders) are not real
life terrorists but theological ones (from Hell). Our weapons against evil
are self-sacrifice, humility, suffering and death. He claims fantasy is a
higher form of literature than satire because fantasy creates; satire only
mocks. "Morality is not hard to know. It is hard to do" (38). He also says
"only a great myth can do that astonishing feat, can translate the eternal
truth of good and evil into the radically other medium of a temporal story"
(41). Frodo, Gandalf, and Aragorn are all Christ-figures. ****
Topics supported: evil, Denethor/Theoden, mythology, martyrs, Sam,
relevance, Christian symbolism
Kuznets, Lois R. "The Hobbit is Rooted in the Tradition of Classic
British Children’s Novels." Readings. 31-43.
Kuznets discusses the "rhetoric of childhood" and compares The Hobbit
to Alice in Wonderland and to MacDonald and Grahame. She says writers
of children’s novels often deal similarly with time and space, have
intrusive authors/narrators, have child-like characters, and have very
descriptive language. A quest of one year in length uses symbolism of the
seasons. Space clearly divided into civilized/the Wild or safe/non-safe
places. Obtrusive narrator comes from oral tradition, from reading aloud to
children. Not as much sensory data in Tolkien as in other children’s tales
(not as much about food but more detail on smoking), which shows Tolkien’s
reliance on visual input not strengths with other senses; he shows
landscapes better than decorative details. There is lots of conversation,
play with words, riddles, poetry. She also compares The Hobbit to
The Lord of the Rings: the difference between the two quests is that the
"self-integration of Bilbo’s type, not self-transcendence of Frodo’s type is
the quest of children’s literature" (38). She says Bilbo is more
androgynous rather than misogynous (as in The Lord of the Rings).
Bilbo’s ability to give up the Arkenstone foreshadows his ability to pass on
Ring. She calls Gollum Frodo’s shadow and says, "the ‘mercy passage’ is
really connected with the very unchildlike sacrificial development of
Frodo’s personality and his acknowledgement of his relationship to ‘it,’ his
shadow, Gollum" (40). ***1/2
Topics supported: Bilbo’s character, Gollum, Hobbit as
children’s literature, time/space, shadow self, quest
Lawhead, Stephen R. "J. R. R. Tolkien: Master of Middle-earth."
Celebration. 156-171.
Lewis, C. S. "The Dethronement of Power." Critics. 12-16.
Lewis refutes criticism that Tolkien’s world is totally black and white.
He analyzes the complexity of the structure of Tolkien’s work, the realism,
the relevance of every portion of the story and every character to the
resolution. Lewis says the moral of story is "victory is impermanent . . . a
recall from facile optimism and wailing pessimism alike" (15). Lewis answers
questions of why Tolkien choose the fantasy genre: "because . . . one of the
main things the author wants to say is that the real life of men is of that
mythical and heroic quality" (15). He helps us rediscover true reality. ***
Topics supported: structure, purpose, relevancy
Lobdell, Jared. A Tolkien Compass. La Salle, IL: Open Court, 1975.
Manlove, C. N. "Tolkien Fails to Achieve his Artistic Goals in The
Lord of the Rings." Readings. 141-152.
Manlove claims that Tolkien does not achieve his goal of "recovery." He
says the description of Lothlorien is the "finest set-piece in the book"
(142), yet he tears apart the description as vague. He characterizes the
number of forests, towers, mountain ranges, cities in The Lord of the
Rings and the most common ways of describing elves, orcs, mountain
ranges, battles. He finds the juxtaposition of opposites confusing and
claims Tolkien’s writing style distances the reader, rarely uses action to
define character, and describes evil better than good. *1/2
Topics supported: writing style
Matthews, Dorothy. "Psychological Themes in The Hobbit."
Readings. 61-70.
The Hobbit provides insights into human psychology; Bilbo unites both
masculine and feminine sides. It shares traits with old tradition (beyond
just characters), shows how Bilbo is like heroes of children’s tales.
Matthews analyzes how the unconscious is connected to dreams and how
Tolkien’s hero is alone at his most significant moments. He also discusses
the phallic symbolism of swords, caves, etc. Conflict in Bilbo is
represented by his ancestry, the Took and Baggins sides (masculine
adventurer vs. "fuddy duddy"). Matthews connects Gandalf with the Jungian
Wise Old Man, Gollum with the Domineering Mother, Spiders as Shadow Figures,
and Bilbo’s symbolic rebirth from the cave of the goblins and Smaug’s
treasure cave as symbols for Bilbo’s wholeness of self. Interpreting The
Hobbit as a psychological journey helps explain the unsatisfactory
ending to the story. **1/2
Topics supported: Bilbo’s character, psychological interpretation
(Jungian archetypes), sexual symbolism
McGrath, Sean. "The Passion According to Tolkien." Celebration.
172-182.
McLeish, Kenneth. "A Grand Adventure but a Dangerous Blueprint for Human
Affairs." Readings. 93-103.
McLeish claims Tolkien has a shallow world view and is too attached to
Victorian values, says Tolkien is devoid of the feminine, gentleness or
grace, that there is no yin(feminine)/ yan(masculine) balance. McLeish
claims there is no growth of characters, only development of latent traits
already present. He calls The Hobbit the better of Tolkien’s works
and compares Tolkien’s work with other popular literature published at the
same time, to C. S. Lewis (especially his science fiction trilogy), to H.G.
Wells’ War of the Worlds, to Grahame’s Wind in the Willows. He
suggests that Tolkien ignores realities like Dachau and Hiroshima in
suggesting the Shire can return to its previous peacefulness. He says The
Lord of the Rings embodies a dangerous Edwardian world view, but says
Tolkien writes excellent "escapist" literature. *
Topics supported: realism vs. escapist literature
Moorman, Charles. "’Now Entertain Conjecture of a Time’—the Fictive
Worlds of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R Tolkien." Shadows. 59-69.
Moorman, Charles. "The Shire, Mordor, and Minas Tirith." Critics.
201-217.
Moorman claims The Lord of the Rings is a Nordic myth but also
compares it to Moby Dick as it defines its own genre. He contrasts
the Shire (innocence), Mordor (corruption or Fall), and Minas Tirith (the
City) symbolically. He also compares Lewis’s and Tolkien’s world views. *
Topics supported: myth, place symbolism
Noel, Ruth. The Mythology of Middle-earth. Boston: Houghton Mifflin,
1977,
Noel, Ruth. "Tolkien’s Understanding and Use of Mythology Create a
Profound Effect." Readings. 134-140.
Noel says Tolkien is successful in reviving interest in mythology. She
discusses the purposes of myth, myth in Middle-earth, and Tolkien’s
philosophy of myth. The purposes of myth are to glorify history, explain the
unknown, and establish tradition; The Lord of the Rings does all
three. The Lord of the Rings is effective because mythic themes are
universal. Many sources of Tolkien’s themes can be found in older
mythologies and literature, but some are uniquely Tolkien’s. "In no other
literary work has such a careful balance of mythic tradition and individual
imagination been maintained" (137). Noel claims Middle-earth exists on three
levels: actual Western Europe, the poetic imagination of Europeans,
Tolkien’s imagination; it is not faerie, though Lothlorien may be. Like
Le Morte d’Arthur, The Lord of the Rings has anachronisms
(coffee, potatoes) but is also timeless. ****
Topics supported: mythology, justice/mercy, imagination
O’Neill, Timothy R. The Individuated Hobbit: Jung, Tolkien, and the
Archetypes of Middle-earth. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1979.
O’Neill, Timothy R. "A Jungian Interpretation." Readings. 71-79.
O’Neill discusses the Jungian psychology of self-realization. Bilbo
treasures self over wealth. In a dream world, the world of psyche, an
aggressive animal (like a Troll) may symbolize the unrestrained libido. The
moon symbolizes the male psyche ("the moon will shine upon the keyhole"
which leads to an underground cave). O’Neill discusses the Ring as Self. The
Arkenstone also symbolizes "realization of Self through individuation" (77).
**
Topics supported: Bilbo, psychological analysis, value of Self over
wealth
TheOneRing.net. The People’s Guide to J.R.R.Tolkien. Cold Spring
Harbor, NY: Cold Spring Press, 2003.
This was written by fans and not scholars; nevertheless, some of the
articles are quite good. It discusses the fantasy genre, mythology, and the
fan phenomenon. About 1/3 of the book deals with the two films which were
released before the book was published. *
Topics supported: fantasy, films, fandom
Pearce, Joseph. Tolkien: Man and Myth. Find
other information.
Pearce, Joseph. "Tolkien and the Catholic Literary Revival."
Celebration. 102-123.
Pearce, Joseph. "True Myth: The Catholicism of The Lord of the Rings."
Celebrating. 83-94.
Pearce demonstrated the profoundly Christian view in The Lord of the
Rings by examining Tolkien himself, his philosophy of myth, and The
Lord of the Rings mythology (and that of Silmarillion). He
discusses the "Ainulindale" and the relationship between Melkor and Satan.
**1/2
Topics supported: myth, Ainulindale.
Petty, Anne C. One Ring to Bind Them All: Tolkien’s Mythology.
University, AL: University of Alabama Press, 1979.
Purtill, Richard. "Christian Morality in The Lord of the Rings."
Readings. 86-92.
Purtill explores the Christian tradition of heroism which presupposes the
fall of man but not necessarily the fall of other races. He speculates on
where hobbits came from. Bilbo’s heroism is a willingness to give the
Arkenstone away (his share) while still remaining loyal to the dwarves. He
has a love of justice and peace. Purtill likens Frodo to Christ in his
willingness to lay down his life for others. He says the Ring is not just
power but satanic power. But he also claims there is a possible redemption
for Saruman and Gollum. **
Topics supported: good and evil, various roles, Ring, choice
Purtill, Richard. Lord of Elves and Eldils: Fantasy and Philosophy in
C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1974.
Rosebury, Brian. Tolkien: A Critical Assessment. New York: St.
Martin’s, 1992.
Raffel, Burton. "The Lord of the Rings as Literature." Critics.
218-246.
He likes The Lord of the Rings but claims it is not literature. He
defines literature by style, characterization, and incidents. He claims
Tolkien writes well, but to what purpose? He differentiates between
narrative realities (which Tolkien does well) and sensory realities (which
he claims Tolkien does not do). He calls Tolkien a "narrative moralist"
(226). Tolkien uses words more universally, relies on reader to create
vision. Raffel also doesn’t like Tolkien’s poetry. He focuses his comments
on the characters of Bilbo, Frodo, Sam, Gandalf, and Aragorn. *
Topics supported: characters, style
Ready, William. Understanding Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings.
New York: Paperback, 1969.
Reilly, Robert J. "Tolkien and the Fairy Story." Critics. 128-150.
Sale, Roger. Modern Heroism: Essays on D. H. Lawrence, William Empson,
and J. R. R. Tolkien. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1973.
Sale, Roger. "Modern Ideas of Heroism Are a Cornerstone of The Lord of
the Rings." Readings. 80-85.
Sale says that Frodo may emulate the heroes of past but his modern
sensibility reacts to our world. The Lord of the Rings includes all
kinds of heroes from early Anglo-Saxon Beowolf to 20th Century
heroes like those of D.H. Lawrence. The men of Rohan are Beowolf-type
heroes; Aragorn is a Romantic Hero; the Ents are Wordsworthian
personifications of divine nature; Sam Gamgee is Dickensonian. He calls
Frodo an "affirmation of possibility in a world where all old and other
heroic types are by themselves inadequate" (80-81). Sale claims that though
Tolkien may consciously prefer "old fashioned" kinds of heroism, he writes
more modern types (as William Empson might have defined modern 20th
Century heroism). Frodo must survive the wasteland of Mordor. Sale analyzes
Sam and Smeagol but shows that only Frodo serves the heroic ideal of the
Ring’s destruction (Sam serves Frodo; Gollum serves the Ring itself).
Frodo’s heroism is his ability to bind himself to others, not to power, a
modern kind of heroism. ***
Topics supported: Bilbo, Sam, Gollum, heroism, modern sensibility,
wasteland
Sale, Roger. "Tolkien and Frodo Baggins." Critics. 247-288.
Sale reflects on all heroic issues of Western literature. Frodo, the
common man, is the kind of hero necessary where all other types of heroes
fail to perform modern quest tasks. Tolkien’s strength is in naming
appropriately and focusing on ritual details (his wittiness), but the story
of The Lord of the Rings demands a more serious approach [Tolkien’s
"heroism [is] of a distinctly modern cast" (251)]. Sale discusses the
hobbits as point of view characters through which we "recover" a clearer
view of the world. He believes the Frodo/Sam chapters are better written
than the war in the West ones. The similarity between Frodo and Gollum is
explored, and Frodo’s heroism, analyzed. Frodo’s role is not a fight between
good and evil but a struggle to stay alive, not give in to desire for death.
Sale also discusses the role of the landscapes of Middle-Earth (the
wasteland of Mordor). The last comparison is between Frodo and Sauron, since
both lost a finger when the Ring was taken from them). He explains why Sam
and Gollum are so important. ***
Topics supported: Sam/Gollum/Frodo characters, style, settings
Sayer, George. "Recollections of J. R. R. Tolkien." Celebration.
1-16.
Schall, James. V. SJ. "On the Reality of Fantasy." Celebration.
67-72.
Shippey, Tom. J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century. New York:
Houghton Mifflin, 2001.
Shippey took over Tolkien’s chair at Oxford and, therefore, has much the
same background. He claims the 20th Century will be seen as the
century of the fantastic in literature, led by J.R.R. Tolkien. Writers like
Tolkien, Vonnegut, Orwell lived through horrible wars, wrote allegorically
about their experiences. His claim that Tolkien is the author of the century
is based on 1) popularity (opinion polls, sales figures), 2) imitation
(fantasy is now a huge genre), and 3) its literary quality. On The Hobbit,
he points out how hobbits are anachronistic to the world they supposedly
inhabit. Also, he notes how familiar the world of Tolkien is with its elves,
dwarves, etc. based on popular fairy tales (Snow White, Elves and the
Shoemaker). Tolkien unites fairy tales by including all in his tale, as part
of his map of the world. He admires the intricate plotting of The Lord of
the Rings. Splitting up the Fellowship (especially Pippin and Merry)
allows for comparison between Denethor and Theoden. He also evaluates
Tolkien’s creative process and its connection to place names and the
different dialects used for different characters. He analyzes Saruman as the
closest character to modern man. The culture of Rohan is closest to
Anglo-Saxon with many direct parallels, even within specific lines, to
Beowolf. Rohan has no written language, only poetry, yet memory (how one is
remembered) is very important. ****
Topics supported: all characters, style, purpose, relevance
Shippey, T. A. "Tolkien’s Sources: The True Tradition." Readings.
155-161.
Shippey explores source material to add understanding and enjoyment to
reading The Lord of the Rings. He acknowledges that Tolkien himself
did not approve of too much emphasis on source material as it distracts from
the work itself. He claims The Lord of the Rings did have elements in
common with Wagner’s Ring but more because Tolkien admired Wagner’s source
material, not Wagner’s work itself. Tolkien’s influences include Beowolf,
Old Norse poems ("Solomon and Saturn," the Poetic Edda), several
sagas and the Prose Edda. Tolkien was also influenced by 19th
Century fairy tales (Grimm brothers, English Fairy Tales, Popular Tales from
the Norse) and the ballad tradition. Even some American folk tales
interested Tolkien, and many middle English poems and modern writers George
MacDonald, William Morris, Kipling. Shippey calls Tolkien an ethnic writer
(though admits anyone but someone of Anglo-Saxon descent seems to be
able to claim this). **
Topics supported: source material and influences on Tolkien
Smith, Mark Eddy. Tolkien’s Ordinary Virtues: Exploring the Spiritual
Themes of The Lord of the Rings. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity,
2002.
Smith analyzes Tolkien’s use of virtues like generosity, friendship,
faith, wonder, sacrifice, atonement, humility, trust, wisdom, courage, and
perseverance. He argues that myths are not lies; some myths really happened,
are a "’splintered fragment of the true light’" (Humphrey paraphrasing
Tolkien 13). Smith claims we learn more from Middle-earth because it is
removed from the real world, says we can read Tolkien from Silmarillion
to Lord of the Rings to supplement lessons from the Bible and learn
"some essential and eternal truths" (14). Wonder, one of the aspects of
fairy stories according to Tolkien, is well analyzed with respect to its
poignancy even after great sorrow. He also shows how these virtues are
interwoven, for example that courage consists of "equal parts pity, wonder,
love, and faithfulness" (14). [dogmatic] *
Topics supported: virtues, mythology
Spacks, Patricia Meyer. "Power and Meaning in The Lord of the Rings."
Critics. 81-99.
Tolkien is a modern mythmaker, but Spacks claims, Lord of the Rings
is not a Christian work. She claims it is clearly northern mythology (such
as Beowolf), takes a darker view than the Christian myth, with
struggle automatically ending in defeat. Good is associated with nature,
evil with barrenness, the Wasteland. "Simplicity of [Tolkien’s] ethical
system is redeemed by the philosophic complexity of its context" (85). She
discusses the connection between free will and responsibility, and the
connection of chance and an overarching universe. Spacks claims ultimately
Tolkien’s world is affirmative, seeing beyond the darkness to light and high
beauty. Tolkien fused originality with timelessness, but Spacks criticized
Tolkien’s language. **
Topics supported: myth, Christianity, free will, ultimate
philosophy
Stanton, Michael N. Hobbits, Elves, and Wizards: Exploring the Wonders
and Worlds of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. New York:
Palgrave, 2001.
Tinkler, John. "Old English in Rohan." Critics. 164-169.
Tinkler argues that Tolkien intended Rohan to be like Old English. "Eo"
is like the Old English word "eoh" meaning horse. Eomund therefore means
"protector of horse people"; Eowyn, "delighter in horses." Wormtongue’s name
points up his villainy; Theoden’s refers to kingship. Dernhelm, meaning
secret helmet, is also appropriate. He similarly explains place names,
horses, weapons. *
Topics supported: linguistics, Rohirim
Urang, Gunnar. "Tolkien’s Fantasy: the Phenomenology of Hope." Shadows.
97-110.
West, John. "The Lord of the Rings as Defense of Western Civilization."
From the "Celebrating Middle Earth" conference, Seattle Pacific University,
Nov. 9-10, 2001. published in Celebrating. 15-30. also found on
www.discovery.org.
West claims that Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings reflects several
themes that are prevalent within the Western literary tradition. First,
natural law suggests that there is a universal set of moral principles
rather than the existential view that each individual person develops his
own moral standards. Second, as opposed to the ascending world view based on
scientific discovery and technological advancement, Tolkien believes in the
declining world view of a Golden Age in the past and a fall from grace.
Third, in the predestination vs. free will debate, Tolkien emphasizes the
importance of the freedom of choice. And fourth, that man is capable of
transcending his limitations. "We should read The Lord of the Rings
because it represents a remarkable defense of Western Civilization" (15).
***
Topics supported: declining world view, morality
Wilson, Edmund. "The Lord of the Rings is Greatly Overrated."
Readings. 128-133.
Wilson calls LOTR a children’s book which got out of hand, labels it a
Romance with not much adventure, few challenges for the heroes, little
development in episodes. He rewrites the ending to the quest for Frodo in
Mordor and calls Tolkien’s ending flat. -*
Topics supported: nothing of value