The Inspiration Behind J R R Tolkien

“He turns back to the blank sheet paper in front of him and he begins to write, ‘In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit’” (White 5). This is the sentence that made J.R.R. Tolkien wonder about this mysterious little hobbit and that inspired him to write The Hobbit. Tolkien had great love for Catholicism which influenced everything he did especially his books. Tolkien’s morals were clearly shown in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit, and The Silmarillion when good overturns evil. Tolkien’s childhood and Catholic faith and morals, and greatly influenced his books.

Tolkien had an eventful childhood that

Tolkien lived in Africa where there were many poisonous and dangerous animals in South Africa where Ronald grew up, so when he was a year old a tarantula bit him and his life was saved by his nanny who sucked out all of the venom (White 11). This is probably what inspired Shelob, the horrifying spider from Mordor. Ronald and his brother had an extraordinary imagination. They pretended that the farmer across the field was an ogre, that there were good and bad wizards battling in his backyard. They went on crusades against the Turks, and turned the windmills into castles (White 16). Tolkien’s favorite myth was the Norse myth of Sigurd which was about a dragon who was protecting treasure and at the death at the dragon of the dragon Sigurd, the dragon-slayer was able to take the treasure (Crabbe 5). This story became the basest in which The Hobbit ended. These childhood experiences helped give Tolkien the ideas that were used to write about in school.

Mabel, his mother, showed great discretion when it came to choosing schools young Tolkien. Mabel taught Tolkien Latin, French, and the rest of his preliminary education ...

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...was completely destroyed except for the few faithful Numenoreans. The kingdom of Solomon collapsed and they were divided and finally taken captive.

Works Cited

Birzer, Bradley J. J. R. R. Tolkien's Sanctifying Myth: Understanding Middle Earth. Wilmington: ISI, 2002. Print.

Carpenter, Humphrey, and J. R. Tolkien. J. R. R. Tolkien : A Biography. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Trade & Reference Division, 2000. Print.

Carpenter, Humphrey, and J. R. Tolkien. J. R. R. Tolkien : A Biography. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Trade & Reference Division, 2000. Print.

Crabbe, Katharyn F. J. R. R. Tolkien. New Yory: Frederick Ungar, 1981. Print.

Stanton, Michael N. Hobbits, Elves, and Wizard. New York: PALGRAVE, 2001. Print.

Tolkien, John R. The Silmarillion. New York: Random House Group, 2002. Print.

White, Michael. The Life and Work of J. R. R. Indianapolis: Alpha, 2002. Print.