The Lord of the Rings

J.R.R. Tolkien was motivated by different elements in his life to write The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien was an admirable British writer and scholar best known for the author-illustrated children’s book The Hobbit and its adult sequel The Lord of the Rings (O’Neil 1529). The Hobbit is the biggest part of why he wrote The Lord of the Rings, along with every feature of his successful life.

In 1930, Tolkien jotted a few enigmatic words about “a hobbit” on the back of an examination paper he was grading. “Names always generate a story in my mind,” he observed, and eventually he found out what hobbits were like (Rollyson 4462). The few words Tolkien jotted down led his imagination run wild and his mind hungry for more words. On September 21, 1937, Tolkien’s fantasy and children’s novel, The Hobbit was published (Rollyson 4456). Shortly after this novel was published, Tolkien’s publisher wrote him that his public would want to hear more about the hobbits next year. So in December, he began to construct a new book, The Lord of the Rings (O’Neil 1543). The Hobbit was one of the big things that made Tolkien keep writing, and it took him up to twelve years to write (O’Neil 1544). Everyone, even his friends and family wanted more.

His personal life also encouraged him to write The Lord of the Rings, not only that, but just to write in general. His childhood played a significant part in his love and passion for writing. As a little boy, Tolkien has always been fascinated by different themes. The memory of his younger years at Sarehole, the happiest of his boyhood, gave him an abiding love of nature, which formed the basis for one of his principal concepts, “The inter-relations between the ‘noble’ and the ‘simple’” (Rollyson 4460). Tolkien...

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...n England, where Tolkien found even more stirring ideas to include in The Lord of the Rings. The Inklings were a literary group that shared works together and influenced each other (O’Neil 1538). In the group, Tolkien had read bits and pieces of The Lord of the Rings to Lewis and others, each giving back affirmative remarks and urging comments to “keep going!”(Kellman 2598). The importance of the Inklings cannot be frazzled enough, especially the friendship with Lewis, who had been an astonishing inspiration on the work of The Lord of the Rings (Rollyson 4459).

In conclusion, every element of Tolkien’s life has a spot in The Lord of the Rings. His love for themes and languages as a young boy, his World War experiences, his wife and kids love and passion, C.S. Lewis’s positive words, and the Inklings. Each may serve as having its own little chapter in the novel.