The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

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These are only some of the beautifully created characters in the fairy story The Lord of the Rings. The Lord of the Rings written by J.R.R. Tolkien has been read and loved by many and will be enjoyed by many more in the years to come. Tolkien was an amazing linguist and author. He will be remembered for his great imagination and intriguing stories. His interest in language was the spark that led to the creation of The Lord of the Rings (Hodges 33-35). Tolkien led an interesting life that influenced his books greatly.
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born on January 3, 1892, in South Africa. Tolkien’s mother, Mabel, moved him and his brother named Hilary to Birmingham, England when Tolkien was four years old. His father died in Africa shortly after the move (“Tolkien, J.R.R.” 831). Mabel gave her sons books to read and taught them how to draw and paint. She also taught the boys languages such as Latin, French, and German. This started Tolkien’s love of language (Hodges 20). He attended Kind Edward’s Grammar School in Birmingham where that passion for language was apparent (Parker and Kermode 741). Mabel died in 1904, while Tolkien was still attending school; therefore, he and his brother became orphans under care of a Catholic priest. Tolkien met Edith Bratt, a fellow orphan that would later became his wife(“Tolkien, J.R.R.” 831). Tolkien continued school and was accepted to Oxford in 1910 (Hodges 83). He graduated in 1915 with a Bachelors of Arts degree and honors in English (Parker and Kermode 741; “Tolkien, J.R.R.” 831). He obtained his Masters of Arts in 1919 (“Tolkien, J.R.R.” 831). In the time between getting his bachelors and masters, he served in World War 1 but was sent home because of a bad case of trench fever. He also ma...

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