Lord of the Rings was a classic when I was a kid. It was a tradition, a world into which I got a glimpse and I was very proud of that. It was a very nice world... To this day, I'm shocked to meet someone...
Temptation is a central theme in J.R.R Tolkien’s The Lord of The Rings. Many characters throughout the novel are tempted to use the power of the Ring to change the world as they see fit. Some seek to use its power for selfish, personal gain,...
Reconciliation with the past is a major theme throughout Tolkien’s trilogy, and the gap between the powerful, undying beings of the past and the mortal men of the present and future is starkly evident when the characteristics of the ancient domains are held up against...
A hero is someone who has a strong sense of justice and acts upon that sense. In The Hobbit, J. R. R. Tolkien uses different elements of the novel to define his idea of a hero. Although the protagonist has a short stature with more...
While it may be easy to underestimate the importance of scenic descriptions, setting plays an important role in most literature – including character-driven fantasy. Setting can be written to represent conflicting forces or ideals, and to help illustrate the conflict and overarching idea of a...
Bilbo Baggins lives a simple life with his fellow hobbits in a village, until the wizard Gandalf arrives and convinces him to join a group of dwarves on a quest to claim the kingdom of Erebor. The journey takes Bilbo on a path through treacherous...
In The Hobbit written by J. R. R. Tolkien, Bilbo Baggins was a timid, kind-hearted hobbit that lived in a luxurious hole in the ground. He was always ready for company, but never expected to get a guest that asked for his presence. After Gandalf,...
The Presence of Norse Mythology in ‘The Hobbit’ When reading this famously known story, The Hobbit, the author, J. R. R. Tolkien, embedded subtle engravings of old Norse Mythology within this modernized myth. When most people think of mythology, they think of the ancient battles...
The relationship between Gandalf and Saruman in J. R. R. Tolkien’s famous trilogy The Lord of the Rings is not only a depiction of good versus evil, but a depiction of the corruption of magic and power. Gandalf and Saruman are two incredibly powerful wizards,...
J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy is a testament to the man’s passion for mythology. As was also the case with his zeal for philology, Tolkien utilized elements of mythology to reinvent the past, creating a living, breathing, nearly palpable world through great depth...
J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings is one of the bestselling books of all time and has captured the imaginations of readers for decades. The story became even more popular when in 2001 director Peter Jackson released his highly successful film...
Despite the wide range of worlds occupied by different fantasy series, a universal theme of the genre is the presence of evil forces working in opposition to a band of heroes. Most often the band of heroes is embarking on a quest to vanquish evil...
Introduction: The Power of Literature Being overcome with feelings of anger, sadness, happiness, joy, worry, disgust—whatever it may be, with fingers dry from flipping pages like they have a mind of their own, and eyes frantically scanning for sentences and words—for whatever happens next. Sometimes...
“Mr. Baggins began as a comic tale among conventional and inconsistent fairy-tale dwarves, and got drawn into the edge of it – so that even Sauron the terrible peeped over the edge.” Made-to-order essay as fast as you need it Each essay is customized to...
Introduction “The Hobbit, or There and Back Again”, a children’s fantasy novel by the English author J. R. R. Tolkien that is set inside his anecdotal universe, pursues the journey of home-loving Bilbo Baggins, the main hobbit, to win a portion of the fortune guarded...
Bilbo’s sword, Sting, plays a large role in The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien — a role that almost appears to be incongruous for its size. Through each one of its appearances, Sting’s increased significance as a plot element simultaneously symbolizes steps forward in...
In a world where countless individuals have read J.R.R Tolkien’s, The Hobbit, it makes sense that one might feel forced to ask, Is Bilbo Baggins a smart and respected hero or is he a fearful and timid hobbit? The answer is that Bilbo is certainly...
From within the Shire, an unlikely hero arises. Equipped with a golden ring forged from the fires of Mount Doom, assigned an adventerous quest to save Middle Earth, and accompanied by clumsy yet loyal gardener Samwise Gamgee, young hobbit Frodo Baggins assumes the role of...
Tolkien’s colourful world of Middle Earth has been a place of escapist adventure in the minds of many since its humble beginnings in the mid-1950s. Ever since his novel The Fellowship of the Ring debuted, it has inspired minds with its epic tales of unheard...
Peter Jackson emphasizes the territorial nature of J.R.R. Tolkien’s center-earth through fascinatingly playing with strains of division. Frodo Baggins (Elijah wooden) and Sam Gangee (Sean Astin) flee from the Shire with the high-quality Ring in tow. Sam stops, noting that along with his subsequent step...
Introduction The journey of a hero is an imperative part of any quest narrative. It shows not only the development of the character but allows the reader to feel part of the story. Within this essay I will be analyzing Bilbo Baggins journey as well...
Fantasy, high fantasy, mythopoeia, translation, literary criticism
Notable works
The Hobbit
The Lord of the Rings
The Silmarillion
Unfinished Tales
Quotes
"Not all those who wander are lost."
"It's the job that's never started as takes longest to finish."
"Still round the corner there may wait, A new road or a secret gate. "
Date
3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973
Activity
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was an English writer, poet, philologist, and academic, best known as the author of the high fantasy works The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
Works
The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales
Themes
Scholars and critics have identified many themes of The Lord of the Rings, a major fantasy novel by J. R. R. Tolkien, including a reversed quest, the struggle of good and evil, death and immortality, fate and free will, the danger of power, and various aspects of Christianity such as the presence of three Christ figures, for prophet, priest, and king, as well as elements like hope and redemptive suffering.
Style
Tolkien's writing style can be categorized as elegant, unique, graceful, and old-fashioned. Tolkien excelled in showing his imagination in great detail, but didn't like using fancy vocabulary. Poetry is also a major element in Tolkien's work that made him stand out from others. He is widely known for the genre of fantasy. His writing is seen as inspired by Gaelic, Biblical History, Irish Mythology, Catholicism, and World War I & II.
Legacy
While many other authors had published works of fantasy before Tolkien, the great success of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings led directly to a popular resurgence and the shaping of the modern fantasy genre. This has caused Tolkien to be popularly identified as the "father" of modern fantasy literature — or, more precisely, of high fantasy
Quotes
“Not all those who wander are lost.”
“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
“Fantasy is escapist, and that is its glory.”
