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Lord Of The Rings: Literary Criticism

1766 Words8 Pages

Chofia Basumatary
Course Instructor- Shelmi Sankhil
Reading Fantasy: C.S Lewis and J.R.R Tolkien
MA English (4th Sem)
5 May 2017
Freewill in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Loyalty is still the same, whether it win or lose the game; true as a dial to the sun, although it be not shined upon- Samuel Butler. In the above extract we can clearly see that loyalty comes out of the feeling of selflessness that is exercised in perilous times. The dictionary definition merely means “deeds made or done freely or of one’s own accord”, however there is a deeper motivation which runs in one’s voluntary commitment towards the other or the mission at hand. Michael Maher argues, one’s understanding of free will determines one’s thinking …show more content…

As Tolkien himself was apprehensive of his works being titled as fantasy, we can see that it is rather true that the works goes beyond the genre or restriction of being a fantasy literature. In the literary jargon, the genre of fantasy is that of an imaginary universe, which is far removed from the real world, endowed with magic and supernatural elements. Tolkien’s narrative however deals with problems that are greater than the magic which may be found. It is not a parallel world that exists with ours rather it is a world which has the conviction of our supposed long lost …show more content…

It addresses the hopelessness of the century and the entrapment of the times which was caught in the Wars. It is timeless as we see recurrent failures of individuals in the contemporary times despite countless efforts and our frustration resonates with that of Frodo, who was a strong character but surrounded by corruption and different kinds of evil. Frodo finds an agency to act out his will and fate in the company of his Fellowship and despite his horrors of causing them mortal harm, he is glad to find atleast one companion. One may ask the function of such fantasy or the accusation of it being a children’s genre. Also what kind of confirmation is being expected from such stories or works of fiction? However, Tolkien is able to give us a far greater message (even if not deliberately) that imagination is not just limited to wishful fantasy or day dreaming; rather it is the step towards a peaceful and not utopian

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