The Review of The Children of Hurin

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In the novel The Children of Hurin by J.R.R.Tolkien, the main theme is the “sorrowful consequences of war”. These consequences are depicted through the betrayal of allies, loss of friends and relatives, and death of their friends. This novel reveals a tragical life of Turin, Son of Hurin, who lost his father in a battle of “Nirnaeth Arnoediad” (Tolkien,56), The Battle of Unnumbered Tears, lost his mother and sister due to the departure to elves’ castle Menegroth, lost his friends due to the slayer of them, and in the end killed himself because he could not bear the guilt and sorrow of his deeds. Thus, all this evidence portrays that the theme of this novel is the sorrowful consequences of war between powers of Morgoth, “Elder King” (Valar-God) (64) and armies of elves and men.

The tragical story of Turin Turambar and his family starts with the capture of his father Hurin. After the defeat in Nirnaeth Arnoediad, powers of Morgoth captured Hurin and brought him to the fortress of Morgoth, Angband, “Therefore the Orcs grappled Hurin with their arms; and ever their numbers were renewed, till he fell buried beneath them. Then Gothmog (orc captain) bound him and dragged him to Angband with mockery” (60). After the arrival to Angband, Hurin mocks Morgoth, “Blind you are, Morogth Bauglir (The Constrainer), and blind shall ever be, seeing only the dark” (62). Morgoth becomes infuriated because of this and curses the kin of Hurin, “But upon all whom you love my though shall weight as cloud of Doom, and it shall bring them into darkness and despair. Wherever they go, evil shall arise. Whenever they speak, their words shall bring ill counsel. Whatsoever they do shall turn against them. They shall die without hope, cursing both life and deat...

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...ism, in this novel, is reflected through the stone throne in which Morgoth sets Hurin as a punishment for his mockery, “He (Morgoth) set him (Hurin) in a chair of stone upon a high place of Thangorodrim (Mountains of Tyranny), from which he could see afar the land of Hithlum in the west and lands of Beleriand in south. Morgoth standing beside him cursed him again and set his power upon him, so that he could not move from the place, nor die, until Morgoth should release him” (65). Hence, stone throne portrays sorrow, suffer, torment, torture, pain, and inescapable agony. The stone throne also symbolizes punishment which one receives if he or she defies God. Thus, J.R.R.Tolkien uses symbolism of throne in this novel in order to show that one should not defy God or he will be punished and to show that one’s wrongdoings will lead to his eternal and inevitable suffering.

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