“Not all that glitters is gold, not all who wander are lost…”, this is my favorite quote from my favorite author, the great J.R.R. Tolkien. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was a bestselling author, professor of Old and Middle English at Oxford, and an incredibly skilled linguist. He was determined, steadfast, and a firm defender of his artistic integrity. J.R.R. Tolkien was an inspirational Englishman because he created a modern mythology, sparking the creation of a new genre of modern fiction.
Tolkien’s childhood and studies had a large impact on his later life. Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa on January 3, 1892. Tolkien lived in South Africa until the death of his father in February of 1896. His time there would influence his later writings. An encounter with a large Baboon Spider at the age of three, would inspire future characters in his writings (Doughan). After that he moved back to England with his mother and younger brother. Living in the West Midlands, Tolkien often moved between the urban blight of Birmingham and the idyllic countryside of Worcestershire. The harsh contrast between these two extremes, would be reflected in later works. After the death of his mother in 1904, Tolkien lived with a Catholic priest, Father Francis Morgan. At the age of 16, while still under the care of Father Morgan, Tolkien met his future wife, three years his senior, Edith Bratt. However, Father Morgan prohibited Tolkien from having any sort of relationship with her while under his care. Tolkien attended Exeter College and later Oxford University, graduating in the summer of 1915 with a degree in English Language and Literature. Upon graduation Tolkien joined the army. His experiences while fighting in the trenches of France woul...
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...rld fascinated me. Tolkien inspired my love of reading. Tolkien’s work is one of the greatest modern epics. His epic recalls the great tales of Homer, and the mighty stanzas of Beowulf. Without Bilbo Baggins there would be no Harry Potter. They remind us of what heroes are, and what stuff legends are made off.
Works Cited
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Carter, Lin. Tolkien: A Look Behind the Lord of the Rings. New York: Ballintine, 1969. Print.
Doughan, David. "J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biographical Sketch." The Tolkien Society. Tolkien Society, 2002. Web. 15 Jan. 2014. .
"J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography." Biography. A&E Networks, 2013. Web. 15 Jan. 2014. .
Within J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, Tolkien uses the character of Bilbo Baggins to reveal to the reader the constant struggle between heroic and anti-heroic qualities within Bilbo and ourselves.
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.
Imagine yourself in a pre-industrial world full of mystery and magic. Imagine a world full of monsters, demons, and danger, as well as a world full of friends, fairies, good wizards, and adventure. In doing so you have just taken your first step onto a vast world created by author and scholar John Ronald Reuel Tolkien. Tolkien became fascinated by language at an early age during his schooling, in particularly, the languages of Northern Europe, both ancient and modern. This affinity for language did not only lead to his profession, but also his private hobby, the invention of languages. His broad knowledge eventually led to the development of his opinions about Myth and the importance of stories. All these various perspectives: language, the heroic tradition, and Myth, as well as deeply-held beliefs in Catholic Christianity work together in all of his works. The main elements of Tolkien’s works are Good versus Evil, characters of Christian and anti-Christian origin, and the power of imagination.
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
Throughout his works, Tolkien includes, in varying degrees, every major component of our Primary World: landforms, minerals, weather and climate, natural vegetation, agriculture, political units, population distribution, races, languages, transportation routes, and even house types. “He did more than merely describe these individual comp...
Tolkien, J. R. R., and Douglas A. Anderson. The Lord of the Rings. Boston: Houghton Mifflin,
Thrall, William flint, Addison Hibbard, and Hugh Holman. A Handbook to Literature. New York: Odyssey, 1960.
The Hobbit shows J.R.R. Tolkien’s belief in the ancient heroic tales of the Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian epics. He asserts that a being goes through many adventures with the help of friends who believe that anything can happen. Tolkien reveals how bravery and courage make ordinary individuals succeed at ordinary tasks.
In the novel, The Hobbit, we find many themes and underlying messages from which useful knowledge and principles can be acquired. As the modern canadian fantasy writer once said, “Fantasy has the capacity to be as important and as thought-provoking as any other form of literature we have.” Tolkien’s work provides readers with challenging and time honoured themes such as: use your unique positive traits for the greater good of the group, power should never be abused and it is important to find your true self in life.
J.R.R. Tolkien can be considered the founding father of the genre fantasy. Most of Tolkien’s texts revolve around the same themes. An author will often write about important messages that pertain to society as a whole. His texts often have hidden messages that relate to his themes. In the fantasy novel The Hobbit and novella “Farmer Giles of Ham”, J.R.R. Tolkien demonstrates that possession ears to overconfidence, greed and selfishness.
Bilbo cleverly eluded Smaug’s temptation, spared the life of foul creature Gollum, and demonstrate courage more and more throughout his journey. These exquisite traits made Bilbo into the revered character that was loved and respected for generations of readers. Throughout the book, Bilbo’s character had changed. At first, he was the ordinary hobbit who described adventures as “Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things” (4) but by the end of his journeys stated to Thorin, “I am glad that I have shared in your perils” (290). Bilbo’s ability to fight evil, make new friends, and to look beyond his maps and books enable him to become a hero. As Gandalf once said at the very beginning, “There is a lot more in him than you guess, and a deal more than he has any idea of himself” (19). Gandalf was right. What appeared to be an uneasy hobbit who fainted at the thought of adventures, turned out to be a brave leader, a compassionate friend, and an inspiring
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.
Tolkien, J.R.R. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. New York, New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1954. Print.