Analyzing J. R. Tolkien's Faerie Story

In order to understand the title I have given this literary analysis we must first revisit what J.R.R. Tolkien considers a Faerie story. He viewed that most of the contemporary “fairy” stories were written as stories that attempted to trick the audience into this other world, a world filled with illusions, created by a magician who manipulates the primary world that we live in. In his essay “On Fairy Stories,” he attempts to distinguish and defend the genre of fairy stories from what most understand as fantasy writing or quite literally a story about fairies. He structures his essay in a manner that distinguishes itself from other genres such as “traveller’s tales,” science fiction (i.e. Star Wars – more on that later), beast tales and dream

Star Wars especially the original trilogy consisting of “A New Hope,” “The Empire Strikes Back,” and “Return of the Jedi,” follow many of the characteristics that Tolkien set out to describe in his essay “On Fairy Stories.” And while the movie is technically an anthology comprising of six films, it is split into two separate parts both of which contain a story. Therefore the original trilogy should not be seen as three separate parts but as a one story. J.R.R. Tolkien creates a backstory, a myth of creation, for the world we live in today-Arda- a world that still holds enchantment for those who want to peel behind the veil that is the primary world and reignite the bond that was once shared between man and nature. George Lucas, an amazing storyteller and visionary in his time, followed the path of Tolkien, but instead of writing a creation myth for our world, created multiple worlds with hundreds of different inhabitants, all which happens “a long time ago in a galaxy far, far

Recovery can be seen in Star Wars as way of looking at things from a different perspective, to see that all is connected from the air to the sea, every living thing is connected through the Force. We view the world in a child-like manner, where everything is beautiful, even the bleak and cold technological powerhouse that is the Death Star has a certain beauty to it. Fairy stories offer a sort of escape or release from the shackles of oppression that is death, sorrow, pain, and poverty by allowing the to “escape” into a world where the deepest desires and ambitions can be fulfilled. The ability to talk to beasts or to adventure into different realms and reigniting the ancient communion between man and nature the likes of which can only be seen with the Elves of yore. The Star Wars trilogy does not only offer the audience a form of escape by way of a journey into this world of enchantment, but many of the characters in the Secondary World also are able to escape the bleak future and that is to become a part of the Force. Obi-Wan, in “A New Hope” escapes death at the hands of Darth Vader by becoming one with the Force, and intangible being that is metaphysically part of the universe he is able to guide Luke long after his death. Yoda and Darth Vader nearing the end of their time in the world also do this. As was