What do you feel is the message, if any, of 'The Hobbit' and 'Lord of the Rings'

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   Emanate Presenceposted 11 years ago

   What do you feel is the message, if any, of 'The Hobbit' and 'Lord of the Rings'?
   
   Are the epic fantasy adventures by J.R.R. Tolkien, set in Middle Earth, simply meant for entertainment as good stories? Or, is there deeper meaning such as personal growth and heroism - whether the author consciously intended it or not?

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   JThomp42posted 11 years ago

   I think what Tolkien was trying to say is that good will always overcome evil no matter the odds.

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   JRScarbroughposted 11 years ago

   That it takes perseverance for good to triumph over evil. That good may be weaker than evil, but good has heart and is noble.
   
   J.R.R. Tolkien was a fervent studier of language and linguistics. Some say he was slightly racist and that his message was light is always better than dark as he described most of his evil creatures (especially the men from what sounded like Africa) to be dark skinned. Some say his message was that light skin is good and dark skin is evil. It was a much different time then and most “evil” was described as black. I do not think Mr. Tolkien’s message was any different than how we use “black” magic and such.
   
   The Lord of the Rings I am pretty sure that the message is one of hope, destiny, responsibility toward our fellow man and love. Good triumphs over evil only when good men (and Hobbits) act.
   
   The Hobbit was more about the spirit of adventure and destiny. I think Mr. Tolkien was too intelligent to do anything on accident. I believe everything that we receive from both was intended.

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      Emanate Presenceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Excellent comments. You are a person I would like to sit with in a cafe and visit. I enjoy your way of looking at things.

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      JRScarbroughposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks! I love J.R.R. Tolkien. I have read The Lord of the Rings multiple times. I aspired to writing it. I study screenwriting and prose at Full Sail University and everyone seems to get a different thing from Tolkien’s work. He was a smart guy.

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      Emanate Presenceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I would be interested to read your comments on a hub I just published, "The Hobbit and the Higher Self - An Unexpected Journey.'

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   Emanate Presenceposted 11 years ago

   Higher Selves and Hobbits - how are they connected? The fantastical imagery of The Hobbit can be seen as more than entertainment. Many are the ways to interpret it, and the writer presents his own unique version. read more

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   lburmasterposted 11 years ago

   Think of Alice in Wonderland. There is so much philosophy in that book that I still learn new things when reading it each time. J.R.R. Tolkien and Lewis Carroll were great friends and had deep conversations on a daily basis. In the Hobbit, the main message I recieve is that anyone can do something extraordinary if they try. In the Lord of the Rings it's more about finding that inner strength to face any situation. So yes, mainly personal growth (through understanding who you are) and heroism.

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      LisaKoskiposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I think you may be confusing Lewis Carroll for C.S. Lewis. I know Lewis and Tolkien were friends but I have never heard of him and Carroll knowing each other.

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      lburmasterposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I think you're right. I was thinking about Alice in Wonderland too much because how much the town of Oxford focuses on the novel.

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   cam8510posted 11 years ago

   A quote from J.R.R Tolkien:
   
   “I cordially dislike allegory in all its manifestations, and always have done so since I grew old and wary enough to detect its presence. I much prefer history – true or feigned– with its varied applicability to the thought and experience of readers. I think that many confuse applicability with allegory, but the one resides in the freedom of the reader, and the other in the purposed domination of the author.”
   
   J.R.R Tolkien
   
   Tolkien implied nothing in the trilogy or in any of his writings, but we most certainly have a hay day inferring a lot.

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      Emanate Presenceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you for the quote from Tolkien. It is new to me. It is good to know the author's intention, and also to feel free to infer so long as we are clear that it is our interpretation - or application - of the writings.

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   tlmcgaa70posted 11 years ago

   i think Tolkien just wanted to create his own special world, and he did a smashing job of it. can we learn something from it? i would have to give that question a resounding YES! when i read or watch these stories...well, Sam is my hero, and my role model. by his example we can learn what a true friend is. we can learn that some things are more important than just us...some things are worth dying for. we can learn that sometimes, fighting for what is right and good is also worth dying for. we can learn what it is to be noble, to have integrity and loyalty, to be trustworthy. sometimes things get very hard...so hard you just want to give up...but giving up isnt the answer...giving up will create more problems, more pain than fighting to reach the end would. and sometimes hope is the only thing carrying us onwards. if Tolkien was even a quarter like his heroes...i grieve that i never got to meet him in person...i grieve at the loss we suffered when he died. i am grateful his works live on still and always will. he truly was a master.

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      Emanate Presenceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Enjoyed your comment. Thank you!

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