Many writers use fiction as a release for creativity and to escape the boring reality of their lives. Very few writers have lives more interesting than their works. J.R.R. Tolkien, the creator of Middle-earth, is an exception to that pattern. He was simply a remarkable man. He had many different aspects of his career, he was a fantastic writer, and he left behind a massive legacy.
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien’s parents, Arthur and Mabel Tolkien, moved to South Africa after Arthur was promoted at the bank for which he worked (Doughan 1). In Bloemfontein, South Africa, J.R.R. Tolkien was born on January 3rd, 1892, and his younger brother, Hilary, was born on February 17th, 1894 (Doughan 1). On February 15th, 1896, John and his mother and brother were on vacation in England when Arthur Tolkien, who was still in South Africa, died from peritonitis ("J.R.R. Tolkien Biography" 1). The Tolkien’s, who would not have sufficient financial funds, stayed with Mabel’s parents in King’s Heath, England; John and Hilary were taught by Mabel until she died of acute diabetes on November 14th, 1904 (Doughan 1). Mabel assigned her sons guardianship to a close friend, Father Francis (Doughan 1).
Tolkien went to King Edward’s School for grade school, and he studied Anglo-Saxon and Germanic languages and classic literature at Exeter College, University of Oxford and graduated in 1915 ("J.R.R. Tolkien Biography" 1). The United Kingdom entered World War I in 1914, and Tolkien, who waited until after he graduated, enlisted as a second lieutenant in the Lancashire Fusiliers, British Army; on March 22, 1916, before he left for France, he married his longtime sweetheart, Edith Bratt, with whom he had been in correspondence since he was sixteen, and during the...
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...nd arranged for “Beren” to be inscribed under his name after he died. These engravings are allusions to one of Tolkien’s stories about Lúthien, the most beautiful elf in Middle-Earth, who gives up immortality to be with the human she loves, Beren.
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“The Ten Most Unlikely Things Influenced by J.R.R. Tolkien” io9.com N.p. Web. 7 Dec. 2012.
This story begins with a small fellow by the name of Bilbo Baggins. This fantasy story was written in 1956 by J.R.R. Tolkien. It is about a hero’s journey through the dangers and wonders of Middle Earth. Although it was not meant to become such a well-known book, it is filled with much literature. Throughout the book, Tolkien uses literary devices such as repetition, similes, and metaphors to develop the theme of cunning and cleverness.
· Urang, Gunnar. "J. R. R. Tolkien: Fantasy and the Phenomenology of Hope" Religion and Fantasy in the Writing of C. S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and J. R. R. Tolkien. United Church Press, 1971
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
A hero. Today, by definition, to be a hero is to have abundant power, defiance, to attain fame and wealth, and to have the intrepidity to help the ones who cannot defend for themselves. However, Bilbo Baggins, the protagonist of The Hobbit, by J.R.R Tolkien, grows to be a hero without possessing any of these qualities after he partakes in an adventure to help reclaim the Dwarves’ homeland from the dragon Smaug. This quest to the Lonely Mountain brings the indolent hobbit into a completely new world, where he faces trouble and experiences a region of supernatural wonder. Bilbo’s adequacy and heroism are shown in the adventure through his latent cunningness and courageous acts, and through the loyalty and devotion he shows to his companions.
Tolkien, J. R. R., and Douglas A. Anderson. The Lord of the Rings. Boston: Houghton Mifflin,
While it is certainly an exciting and well written work of fantasy, which cannot help but grip the imagination, all this would be for naught except for the poignancy of the themes which serve as its backbone. Foremost of these is Tolkien’s determination to show the natural world as the measure of all things. His world revolves around nature, and his character’s affinity to it determines their place in Middle-Earth.
Print. The. Tolkien, J. R. R. The Fellowship of the Ring. First Ballantine Books Ed.
Tolkien, J. R. R. The Hobbit, Or, There and Back Again. New York: Ballantine, 1982. Print
J.R.R Tolkien's action packed, fantasy driven, inspiring novel The Hobbit shows the message that everyone must know, that you should never give up even if all hope seems to be lost. It shows setting of evergreen forests with villages scattered along the paths of which they must take and mountains just on the horizon. The read must go along with bilbo baggins a hobbit that does not realize there is more to him than just being a baggins and that he will live up to his family's name. Even after gandalf tells him that he will embark on a great adventure he still doesn’t believe he is anymore than just bilbo. Therefor this story is inspiring and shows that with the setting, character, and theme combined make this story a great read.
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.
Setia, Roszainora, et al. “Semiotic Analysis of a Media Text The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.” Canadian Social Science 5.4 (2009): 25-31. Academic Search Complete. Web. 7 November 2013.
Tolkien, J. R. R., and Christopher Tolkien. The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009. Print.
The novel “The Hobbit”, or “There and back Again”, written by J.R.R. Tolkien tells the tale of a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins. This story has been adapted into three films, as well, by the filmmaker and screenwriter Peter Jackson. Throughout Jackson’s “The Hobbit” trilogy, he encompassed little of the most important components of the Tolkien’s literary edition. There were many differences between the two adaptations of the story. For instance, Jackson gave major roles to a variety of characters in the movies that never showed up or were only briefly mentioned in the book, characterized Bilbo and the dwarves much differently than in the book, and told the story through the use of a framed narrative. Overall, between the literary edition and filmic
Tolkien, J.R.R.. “Now Read On…” Interview by Dennis Gerrolt. BBC Radio 4. BBC, 1971. Web. 11 Jan. 2014.
Urang, Gunnar. "J. R. R. Tolkien: Fantasy and the Phenomenology of Hope" Fantasy in the Writing of J. R. R. Tolkien. United Press, 1971