Tolkien's uses of Allusion

[HobbitFriend]

Tolkien was a devout Catholic... that's no secret. And he clearly stated that The Lord of the Rings was not an allegory. This, however, does not mean that he didn't make any references to the Bible or biblical events. This is the topic that i will be writing on for my English Research paper. I'll be posting some of the times that Tolkien uses allusion, mainly allusion to the Bible. And you can post what you think, too. Whether you agree, disagree, or have suggestions of your own :thumbs:

*I don't mean to cause any religious conflicts or anything. This is just opinions... and feel free to post your own. But please follow the rules and don't be disrespectful or rude in your answers. Thanks :)

[HobbitFriend]

Okay, after much work and research, i have finally finished my paper. A thing to keep in mind, is that it is very religious (since I'm comparing various parts of it to the Bible) and contains the views and opinions of others as well. You may or may not agree with some or all of it, but as i've said before, feel free to voice your own opinion :thumbs:

Allusion in The Lord of the Rings
Many Christians, when they hear the words “fairy tale” and “magic,” run. They believe it goes against God in some way, but what they don’t see is that God created us with imaginations and minds of our own. It is in our very nature that we desire what we can’t have. Even Adam and Eve, when told not to eat of the tree in the garden, overcame by desire and fooled by deceit, ate the forbidden fruit.
Fantasy, as a genre, is different from the everyday events of life; it is new, fun, and exciting. Most of the time, we even find ourselves wishing that fairies, hobbits, and elves were real. J.R.R. Tolkien took fantasy in his novel, The Lord of the Rings, created a whole new world – not unlike the world we live in – and gave us a story we could all relate to. Underneath the fictional tale of a small hobbit that goes on a quest to destroy a magical ring and end the dominion of a dark and evil ruler, lies a story of hope, courage, self-sacrifice, friendship, love, and loyalty. All of these attributes relate to life and the stories of the Bible, and in their own way contribute to the main plot and overall theme of The Lord of the Rings.
Although Tolkien doesn’t come right out and compare various parts of The Lord of the Rings with events of the Bible, he many times alludes to them. Tolkien himself was a devout Catholic and was friends with fellow writer and Christian philosopher, C.S. Lewis. It is true that Tolkien states that his book is not intended as an allegory (the expression by means of fictional figures and actions of truths or generalizations about human existence. –Webster Dictionary, 9th Edition), but that does not mean that aspects of the Bible are not alluded to in his book. In one of his letters, Tolkien himself even declares that “The Lord of the Rings is of course a fundamentally religious and Catholic work.” Throughout the novel, the connection between it, the Bible, and humanity are quite clear and evident through Tolkien’s use of allusion in The Lord of the Rings.
In the beginning of The Lord of the Rings, Gandalf explains to Frodo the evil power of the One Ring. Frodo wonders how and why such an evil thing could have come to him, to which Gandalf replies, “Behind that there was something else at work, beyond any design of the Ring-maker. I can put it no plainer than by saying that Bilbo was meant to find the Ring, and not by its maker. In which case you also were meant to have it” (Tolkien 54&55). Gandalf refers to some “greater purpose” at work – some other will.
In The Silmarillion, Tolkien’s novel on the creation of Middle-Earth, and the background of The Lord of the Rings, Ilùvatar is the God-like figure that was there at the beginning and created Eä (Middle-Earth) and all the good things in it. It is possible that when Gandalf was talking about a “greater purpose,” he was referring to Ilùvatar, who could easily be compared to God. According to the Bible, God is always at work in our lives and has a plan for each of us. Just like Ilùvatar would plan for Frodo to take the Ring to Mordor, and use him to defeat evil, so God is the “greater purpose” who plans our own futures.
Singing is a large part of both Christianity and The Lord of the Rings. Throughout the entire book, The Lord of the Rings contains poems, songs, and verses. Even when the characters tell a story, they use poetry and song. The Bible says, “Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance – for understanding proverbs and parables, the saying and riddles of the wise” (Proverbs 1:5-6). Middle-Earth also has its own proverbs, parables, sayings, and riddles of the wise, which took the form of poems and songs. The wise and the counselors of Middle-Earth often recited verses of ancient lore as they sought guidance on any matter (Bruner & Ware 24).
One of the most important or significant songs in The Lord of the Rings is Sam’s Song in the tower of Cirith Ungol. Frodo had been stung by the giant spider, Shelob, and then taken away by Orcs into the tower of Cirith Ungol. Sam had gone up into the tower to get him, fought off the Orcs in his way so that he could get to his Master, and then at last, so close to Frodo, Sam got lost. There, in his despair, Sam began to sing. He didn’t really know why he sang, but he did. And then, because of his singing, Frodo had heard and called out to him. Sam found Frodo and rescued him, and was therefore able to finish the Quest, all because of his singing.

A song came to Sam when he needed it most. The plot turned and events were directed as he sang. It was a crucial moment in the history of the Quest of the Ring. And it found definition through the power of song (Bruner & Ware 84).

“And then softly, to his own surprise, there at the vain end of his long journey and his grief, moved by what thought in his heart he could not tell, Sam began to sing” (Tolkien 887). There, at the end of all things, when all hope seemed out of reach, Sam sang a song not of despair, but of hope:

Though here at journey’s end I lie
In darkness covered sleep,
Beyond all towers strong and high,
Beyond all mountains steep,
Above all shadows rides the Sun
And stars for ever dwell:
I will not say the Day is done,
Nor bid the Stars farewell.
(Tolkien 888)

Just as Sam did not give up in his moment of hopelessness, neither did Paul and Silas in the midst of their defeat. The Bible tells us of Paul and Silas, who had been beaten, stripped, and locked up in prison. When they had all the reason to be angry and resentful, and when they had very little hope left, just like Sam, they began to sing.

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God… suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose… The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. (Acts 16:25-30)

Whenever someone is in trouble, singing helps them more than they could imagine. For Sam, singing led him to his Master and best friend; singing is what helped Paul and Silas to break free. Their courage to sing in the dark is what saved them, and as Bruner and Ware rightly state, “It is never so dark that we cannot sing” (Bruner & Ware 85).
Another theme that is prevalent in both The Lord of the Rings and the Bible is deceptive appearances. This is the concept that things aren’t always what they seem. The character Aragorn (first known to the Hobbits as “Strider”), doesn’t seem like a great and mighty king; he actually seems just the opposite at first glance. People of the land Bree don’t know this stranger’s rightful name, but because he is always lurking around the place and seems a bit suspicious, they give him the name “Strider.” It isn’t until much later that it is revealed that this dirty, wandering man is in fact Aragorn, Isildur’s heir and rightful King of Gondor. Even his poem shows that things aren’t always what they seem: “All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost…” (Tolkien 168). Frodo agrees to take on this “Strider” as a guide with these words:

“You have frightened me several times tonight,” Frodo explained, “but never in the way that servants of the Enemy would, or so I imagine. I think one of his spies would – well, seem fairer and feel fouler, if you understand.” (Tolkien 168)

Frodo knows how the enemy can be deceiving; he knows that the enemy would make things to look “fairer” but would in fact be very harmful. In that same way, the Enemy made the Ring of Power to look so beautiful that anyone who looked upon it would be filled with desire to have it as their own, but underneath, the Ring is very harmful and if one calls it their own, they are corrupted by it.
The same concept is revealed in the Bible in the story of Samuel and Eliab. Samuel believed that God’s Anointed would be some great warrior of strength and nobility, such as Eliab, but God teaches us not to be fooled by outward appearances:

When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (I Samuel 16:6-7)

God did not choose Eliab because he was large, strong, and powerful, as Man would think. Instead, He had chosen another, unlikely person who had a good, kind heart, rather than someone of high honor in the world of Men.

[HobbitFriend]

In this same way, God tends to use small, unlikely people to fulfill his largest tasks and greatest plans. One of the greatest examples of this is the story of David and Golliath. Golliath was a nine-foot tall giant, and David was only a Shepard Boy. Golliath was a Philistine, sent to fight against anyone who dared to oppose him. The Philistines had disobeyed and angered God, which upset David who was a firm believer and follower of Him – but what can a small Shepard do against a mighty giant? Despite his appearances, however, God had chosen David to defeat Golliath. Not even the mightiest of their warriors could do any harm to the giant, and to him, it was an insult that they sent this small boy out to fight him. But David stood firm in his belief, picked up a stone, and threw it at the giant striking him in the forehead, and killing him. “So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him” (I Samuel 17:50).
This same idea is applied in The Lord of the Rings. One of the greatest warriors of Men was the hero Isildur: the high King of Gondor. During the Last Alliance (a great battle), Isildur cut the Ring from Sauron’s hand, thus defeating him for the time. Being only human, however, Isildur was easily corrupted by the Ring and refused to destroy it when he had the chance. And the Ring was ironically his death. This then triggered a series of unimaginable events, and the Ring ultimately ended up in the hands of the most unlikely creature imaginable: a small Hobbit of the peaceful lands of the Shire. Now it was up to Frodo Baggins to somehow find a way to destroy the One Ring in the only place where it could be unmade: in Orodruin, Mount Doom, within the confines of Mordor, the land of the Enemy. This is an unlikely task for such a small person. One would think that a mighty warrior would be the one for the job, but it was not so. The task was appointed to Frodo, and only he could fulfill it. As Elrond observes, “This is the hour of the Shire-folk, when they arise from their quiet fields to shake the towers and counsels of the Great. Who of all the Wise could have foreseen it?” (Tolkien 264).
In the end, Frodo does succeed with the help of his friend. And no, this friend was no great wizard, no warrior, or hero; he was another small, and rather frightened Hobbit with only courage, love, and determination. They were a very unlikely pair to whom the task of saving all of Middle-Earth was appointed. So, in a twist of irony, the smallest people are given the greatest tasks and the nameless are called to protect the renowned. And finally, the unlikely and weak are “chosen not in spite of weakness, but because of it” (Bruner & Ware 52&54).
The story of Friendship is universal, and is probably the strongest and most important theme of both the Bible and The Lord of the Rings. Frodo would never have completed the Quest or even gotten very far if it weren’t for his loyal, faithful, and trustworthy friend, Samwise Gamgee. Sam never gave up on Frodo or the Quest for even one moment. Tolkien is constantly stressing the strong bond of friendship between Frodo and Sam throughout the entire novel.
So it is with the Bible: God gave everyone a companion and friend to help us go on each and every day. He made Eve to give Adam companionship and teaches that two are better than one, for if one falls down, their friend is there to help him up.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: if one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A chord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)

Everyone needs a friend – someone to talk to and confide in. Sam helped Frodo so many times throughout the story, and at the very end, Sam even carried Frodo when Frodo could go no further. He even went without food and water, going on for days without eating because he had given his portion to his best friend. This strong friendship is essential not only in The Lord of the Rings, or the Bible, but in every day life as well.
In contrast to friendship, love, and light, is darkness and evil. Those with a good heart can see clearly and know what is right and will do it. Evil cannot see clearly through the darkness that it has created, and Evil does not understand the ways of good – its mind is clouded with bad thoughts and its own evil ways. The Bible explains this saying, “The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it” (John 1:5). Goodness and Evil cannot find common ground, “For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” says the Lord in 2Corinthians 6:14.
Sauron, the evil Dark Lord of Middle-Earth, fears that someone powerful has his Ring and will use it against him. He fears that a great warrior will use the powers of the Ring to overthrow him and become the new Dark Lord in his place. Sauron does not even consider the idea that a small and seemingly harmless “halfling,” a Hobbit of the Shire, would indeed not use the Ring himself, but would rather destroy it. Even when offered the Ring freely, Gandalf, Galadriel, and Elrond all refuse and resist the temptation of the Ring because of the good in their hearts. Even Frodo resists the temptation to use it, knowing what can happen if he does. Gandalf explains: “That we should wish to cast him down and have no one in his place is not a thought that occurs to his mind. That we should try to destroy the Ring itself has not yet entered into his darkest dream” (Tolkien 486).
The story of Sauron and the Ring seems to allude to Satan and his offering to Jesus in the Bible. Satan had offered Jesus the chance of becoming equal to God if he would bow down to him, but Jesus refused, saying that the only one to bow down to was God. Instead, Jesus, “Who, being in very nature God… made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant,” and even “became obedient to death – even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:6-8). Galadriel, Gandalf, and Jesus himself, ultimately resist temptation because “Tolkien’s Ring, like the devil’s offer, is both thoroughly evil and perilously powerful” (Bruner & Ware 63).
Two aspects of Tolkien’s Middle-Earth really seem to allude to the Bible. They are Valinor and the Istari. The Elves of Middle-Earth all travel to the Grey Havens and sail off towards Valinor, the place that Ilùvatar created for the Elves at the beginning of creation. It is described as a place of extreme beauty and is full of peace and happiness. Valinor is described in The Lord of the Rings much in the same way as Heaven is described in the Bible. And just like Ilùvatar created Valinor at the beginning of Middle-Earth’s creation, so did God create Heaven at the beginning of Creation. The case of the Istari, on the other hand, is a matter that has long been debated. The English translation of Tolkien’s elvish word “istari” is “wizard,” for lack of a better term. Since wizards are many times linked with the Occult or Satanism, the mention of wizards in The Lord of the Rings makes some people uneasy. Tolkien thankfully cleared this matter up in one of his letters – the section titled, “On Wizards:”

They were as one might say the near equivalent in the mode of these tales of Angels, guardian Angels… The istari are translated “wizards” because of the connection of “wizard” with wise… They are actually emissaries from the True West, and so mediate from God, sent precisely to strengthen the resistance of the “good,” when the Valar become aware that the shadow of Sauron is taking shape again.” (Tolkien – 1951 letter).

Just like Tolkien’s Wizards or Istari, God sends us Angels to watch over and guide us. The Valar, as Tolkien mentioned in his letter, were created first by Ilùvatar and dwell in Valinor. This is very much the same way as God created the Angels who live in Heaven.
Another great example of allusion is the likeness between the story of Sméagol and Déagol of The Lord of the Rings and Cain and Abel of the Bible. Sméagol and Déagol were best friends. One day, they were swimming in a river when Déagol found something. It was a ring. But this ring was no ordinary ring, it was the One Ring. Being Sméagol’s birthday, and the ring so beautiful, Sméagol wanted it. Déagol protested that it was he who found it, but Sméagol, so overcome by jealously and lust for the Ring, “caught Déagol by the throat and strangled him, because the gold looked so bright and beautiful” (Tolkien 52). He then went away deep into the Misty Mountains, shunned by his family, and became the creature Gollum.
The story of Cain and Abel was very much the same: Cain and Abel were brothers. Abel did everything for the Lord and worked hard, and his family was very proud of him. Cain, on the other hand, didn’t work as diligently as his brother and wasn’t as faithful to God. When it came time for the offering, Cain offered God some of his fruit that he didn’t care much about, and Abel brought God the best and purest lamb of his flock. God was pleased with Abel, but was angry with Cain, and Cain was jealous. “Now Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let’s go out to the field.’ And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him” (Genesis 4:8). As a punishment, God drove Cain from the land and if Cain were to try and grow anything from the earth, the soil would not yield any crops.

[HobbitFriend]

Just like the parallels between Déagol and Cain, other parts of Tolkien’s story allude to messages of the Bible. One of these ideas is that God can even turn evil to his will. Gollum had been following Frodo for quite some time, trying to get the Ring. When they finally meet face-to-face, Frodo pities him and takes Gollum on as their guide. Sam and Frodo intend on destroying the Ring in Mount Doom, but Gollum only plays along, the whole time waiting for the right moment to kill them and take the Ring for himself. Gandalf hears news of this and says to Frodo’s friend, the hobbit Pippin, “Treachery, treachery I fear; treachery of that miserable creature. But so it must be. Let us remember that a traitor may betray himself and do good that he does not intend” (Tolkien 797). These words act as a foreshadow of things to come, for when Frodo finally makes it Mount Doom, the Ring takes hold of him at last and he is now willingly unable to cast the Ring into the fire and destroy it. But Gollum’s desire for the Ring is now so strong, and he is so angry that Frodo would consider destroying his “precious” that he bites off Frodo’s finger, taking the Ring and all, and falls into the fires of Mount Doom, thus destroying the Ring after all.
When Frodo couldn’t go any further to fulfill his task, Gollum’s own treachery turned to good in the end. The Lord says, “The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright. But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken” (Psalm 37:14-15). This is all summed up as Bruner and Ware reflect: “Even evil must ultimately serve God’s purposes” (Bruner & Ware 91).
Tolkien uses numbers that are also found in the Bible. These numbers are 33, December 25, and March 25. The Fellowship of the Ring leaves Rivendell at dusk on December 25, to begin their Quest to destroy the Ring. On March 25, Gollum seizes the Ring and falls into the fires of Mount Doom. This marks the downfall of Barad-dûr (the Dark Tower of Mordor) and the passing of Sauron; the Quest is fulfilled (Tolkien 1066 & 1069). December 25, we celebrate as Christmas, the day of Christ’s birth. March 25 is known as the first Good Friday and the death of Christ on the cross (Abanes 94). This shows that the Quest of the Ring was performed during “Christ’s life.”
Another interesting number Tolkien uses is 33. The age that Tolkien used for the Hobbits’ “coming of age” was 33, the same age that Christ was when he died (ClassicNote). The Lord of the Rings begins with Bilbo’s 111th birthday party, which is also Frodo’s birthday, since he and Bilbo have the same birthday. On this day, Frodo turns 33, the day of his “coming of age.” It is also the same day that Bilbo plans to use the Ring one last time to vanish in front of his guests as a goodbye joke and to go off, never to return to the Shire until after the War of the Ring and the downfall of Sauron (March 25). This vanishing act seems to parallel Christ’s ascension (ClassicNote). In the Bible, after Christ’s resurrection, he ascended into the sky, and it is said that he will one day come back in the “End Times” – the end of the world. This is very much alike to how Bilbo vanished and came back to the Shire after the end of the Third Age and the downfall of Sauron (compared to Satan or Evil).
Although Bilbo just used the Ring as a joke and for fun, the Ring was no laughing matter. If it had fallen into the hands of someone powerful (even someone like Gandalf, who would only have intentions of using it for good), the Ring would corrupt their minds and through them would use its power for evil. One of the lessons Tolkien teaches us through his novel is that you cannot defeat Evil with its own crafts. At the Council of Elrond, they are deciding their next course of action when Boromir asks why they don’t just use the Ring. He suggests that they take the Ring and use it to defeat Sauron: “Wielding it the Free Lords of the Free may surely defeat the Enemy” (Tolkien 260). To this Elrond wisely replies:

Alas no… we cannot use the Ruling Ring… It belongs to Sauron and was made by him alone, and is altogether evil… The very desire of it corrupts the heart… If any of the Wise should with this Ring overthrow the Lord of Mordor, using his own arts, he would then set himself on Sauron’s throne, and yet another Dark Lord would appear. (Tolkien 261)

The author of Fantasy and Your Family, Richard Abanes realizes that “the defeat of evil cannot be obtained by gaining access to evil’s power and using it for good.” And how it reveals that conquering evil depends on humility, courage, love, and self-sacrifice (Abanes 173). These are all natural human virtues. God always teaches kindness, even to your enemy. Love and kindness are your greatest weapons and your enemy’s greatest foe.
Many times, the Enemy will use a seductive voice to lure people in and make them believe their lies. Tolkien’s Saruman uses a seductive voice just like Satan. Saruman, a once wise and powerful wizard had been corrupted by his own lust for the Ring. When Gandalf and company go to see Saruman, Gandalf warns them of Saruman’s most dangerous weapon: his voice. “Beware of his voice!” He warns, for Saruman can easily enchant people with his seductive voice, making them believe his lies.

Suddenly another voice spoke, low and melodious, its very sound an enchantment… For many the sound of the voice alone was enough to hold them enthralled… but none were unmoved; none rejected its pleas and commands without an effort of mind and will, so long as its master had control of it.” (Tolkien 564)

Saruman’s servant, Grima Wormtongue (who was properly named), used the lies of his master to rule the city of Rohan. For many years he had been whispering the lies of Saruman in King Théoden’s ear.
Just like Saruman, Satan whispers lies in our ears, and like Gandalf, Jesus warns us saying, “When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). The first time Satan lied and used his trickery was on Adam and Eve. He made Eve think the tree that God forbade them to eat from was special and would make her like God. Eve listened to him and ate of the fruit of the forbidden tree, therefore sinning against God. Another parallel between The Lord of the Rings and the Bible is that the name of the person who Saruman uses to lie to Théoden is “Wormtongue,” and when Satan lied to Adam and Eve in the Beginning, he was in the form of a snake. Therefore, not unlike Saruman, Satan lures us with his own seductive voice and uses people (like Wormtongue) to lie for him.
Saruman’s lies and Sauron’s malice scorched the lands of Middle-Earth. They even reached as far as the quiet and comfortable place of the hobbits’ home: The Shire. When Frodo and Sam return to the Shire after their long, and perilous journey, they believe that they can once again find peace and rest. But to their dismay, it reminded them of Mordor: None of the jolly Hobbits were out working in their fields, the beautiful trees were torn down, large and ugly buildings replaced their small cottages and Hobbit holes. It ended up being the work of Saruman and his men, and there in the end, when Frodo comes face-to-face with Saruman, he spared his life. Frodo had every right to be angry and hateful towards Saruman. After all the trouble Frodo had gone through and all of his sacrifice to at least save his home, he comes back after War and battle to find that Saruman has ruined it. Even all of the other Hobbits wanted to see him dead after all they, themselves had been through, but Frodo wouldn’t even let anyone else kill him. Frodo spoke wisely to Saruman, words that he wouldn’t expect a small halfling of the Shire to utter.

Saruman rose to his feet, and stared at Frodo. There was a strange look in his eyes of mingled wonder and respect and hatred. “You have grown, Halfling,” he said. “Yes, you have grown very much. You are wise, and cruel. You have robbed my revenge of sweetness, and now I must go hence in bitterness, in debt to your mercy.” (Tolkien 996)

Frodo had indeed grown wise over the course of his journey. Just as Jesus humbled himself before God, and has mercy and compassion even on those who don’t deserve it, so did Frodo have mercy on Saruman and spare his life.
Eventually, the Hobbits restored the Shire with the help of Sam’s gift of seeds from Galadriel. However, Frodo was so injured by the Quest, that he could no longer find any peace and comfort in the Shire ever again. He explains to his friend, “It must often be so, Sam, when things are in danger: some one has to give them up, lose them, so that others may keep them” (Tolkien 1006). This shows Frodo’s own self-sacrifice – another essential part of The Lord of the Rings. The greatest sacrifice in history is God’s sacrifice to us. He gave up his one and only son to die on a cross so that we may be free from sin. The Bible says, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
In many ways, Tolkien brings essentially religious aspects of the Bible into his own writing through the use of allusion. Thomas Shippey, a well-known scholar, philologist, and Tolkien expert, believes “that Middle-Earth demonstrates the need for Christianity,” and that “without it, the whole of history will only be ‘the long defeat,’ as Elrond calls it” (Shippey). So many aspects in his work reveal the underlying message of hope, love, self-sacrifice, courage, humility, loyalty, friendship, and mercy. All of which is spoken of in the Bible, and is revealed through allusion in J.R.R. Tolkien’s outstanding novel, The Lord of the Rings.

[Periantari Andruil]

WOW...Hobbitfriend, GREAT job... i have just read the first post and am very impressed so far by the research you have done... i really like your alluding to the conversation of the Ring between Gandalf and Frodo in the second chapter and also to your discussion about Sam's poem (which i love sooo much) hehe...
Great work! :thumbs: i really agree upon your points about Sam's poem in Cirith Ungol and also about LOTR having Christian undertones....

I really see it in the Silmarillion... the Vala and Maia can be interpreted as God-like figures... Illu can be THE God in which everybody believes....
I'll share more once i read the other two posts...
but GREAT JOB!!! :thumbs:

Edit:
I read the second post too and already I can see the relationships you draw between the Bible and LOTR... i love the example of David and Goliath... of hobbits being able to step up and do the impossible... i think that is one of my favorite themes of LOTR... that "Even the smallest creatures can change the course of the future"...

Great quote you have: "So, in a twist of irony, the smallest people are given the greatest tasks and the nameless are called to protect the renowned. And finally, the unlikely and weak are “chosen not in spite of weakness, but because of it” (Bruner & Ware 52&54).

I love that theme....

The friendship and wizard points are good as well... Sam and Frodo's deep friendship is what makes the quest ultimately succeed, so finding a quote from the Bible to compare the two works is also very effective...

You're going to get an A+++ Hobbitfriend!!! :)
Is this essay for English class?

[HobbitFriend]

Thanks for all your support, Andruil! That just makes my day... to know that all my hard work actually pays off. I'm glad you liked it :) *hugs* :smooch:
And yes, this essay is for English class. I just love the themes Tolkien has in there. Sam's Song in Cirith Ungol and the "Even the smallest person can change the course of the future" parts are my favorite. The only reason i didn't use that quote was because it was from the movies, not actually in the text itself.
I know that the essay is very long, so thanks again for your taking the time to read it and for your positive reply :thumbs:

[Periantari Andruil]

Originally posted by HobbitFriend


Tolkien uses numbers that are also found in the Bible. These numbers are 33, December 25, and March 25. The Fellowship of the Ring leaves Rivendell at dusk on December 25, to begin their Quest to destroy the Ring. On March 25, Gollum seizes the Ring and falls into the fires of Mount Doom. This marks the downfall of Barad-dûr (the Dark Tower of Mordor) and the passing of Sauron; the Quest is fulfilled (Tolkien 1066 & 1069). December 25, we celebrate as Christmas, the day of Christ’s birth. March 25 is known as the first Good Friday and the death of Christ on the cross (Abanes 94). This shows that the Quest of the Ring was performed during “Christ’s life.”
Another interesting number Tolkien uses is 33. The age that Tolkien used for the Hobbits’ “coming of age” was 33, the same age that Christ was when he died (ClassicNote). The Lord of the Rings begins with Bilbo’s 111th birthday party, which is also Frodo’s birthday, since he and Bilbo have the same birthday. On this day, Frodo turns 33, the day of his “coming of age.” It is also the same day that Bilbo plans to use the Ring one last time to vanish in front of his guests as a goodbye joke and to go off, never to return to the Shire until after the War of the Ring and the downfall of Sauron (March 25). This vanishing act seems to parallel Christ’s ascension (ClassicNote). In the Bible, after Christ’s resurrection, he ascended into the sky, and it is said that he will one day come back in the “End Times” – the end of the world. This is very much alike to how Bilbo vanished and came back to the Shire after the end of the Third Age and the downfall of Sauron (compared to Satan or Evil).


i'm really impressed by the Christianity references... i've read somewhere that Frodo seems like a christ figure in some ways because of his forgiving nature... I mean also, i think Merry, Pippin, and Sam were obviously extremely angered about what has happened, and it was necessary for somebody to keep his head and take into consideration everything that has happened to make an informed choice in how to proceed in combatting the evil that has come to their home...
the numbers Tolkien used is a great example of allusion.. i'm glad you picked that up :thumbs: i find that one of the most fascinating part ... his choice of when to have the Fellowship leave Rivendell to when Sauron is finally overthrown...

Since Tolkien is such a devout Catholic, it would be obvious that he would use his religion to influence his writing of LOTR...
Even though Tolkien claimed that LOTR was not an allegory, the religious aspects of it emphasize forgiveness, friendship, and the morality...

Originally posted by HobbitFriend

It ended up being the work of Saruman and his men, and there in the end, when Frodo comes face-to-face with Saruman, he spared his life. Frodo had every right to be angry and hateful towards Saruman. After all the trouble Frodo had gone through and all of his sacrifice to at least save his home, he comes back after War and battle to find that Saruman has ruined it. Even all of the other Hobbits wanted to see him dead after all they, themselves had been through, but Frodo wouldn’t even let anyone else kill him. Frodo spoke wisely to Saruman, words that he wouldn’t expect a small halfling of the Shire to utter.

Saruman rose to his feet, and stared at Frodo. There was a strange look in his eyes of mingled wonder and respect and hatred. “You have grown, Halfling,” he said. “Yes, you have grown very much. You are wise, and cruel. You have robbed my revenge of sweetness, and now I must go hence in bitterness, in debt to your mercy.” (Tolkien 996)


This was one of my favorite parts.. i'm glad that Tolkien had made Frodo spare Saruman even though at times, i thought that Frodo was being too soft...but it was the right thing to do... he also spared Wormtongue which lead to his confession on what he did to Lotho and in the end, evil kills evil ...

Originally posted by HobbitFriend

So many aspects in his work reveal the underlying message of hope, love, self-sacrifice, courage, humility, loyalty, friendship, and mercy. All of which is spoken of in the Bible, and is revealed through allusion in J.R.R. Tolkien’s outstanding novel, The Lord of the Rings.


great conclusion :thumbs: i really agree that Tolkien wrote a masterpiece in terms of messages in allusion, character development, scope of geography, culture, and language.. .it truly is one of the best fantasy books ever written :)
great job again, Hobbitfriend, really enjoyed reading your essay =)

[Lady Ashley]

Wow, great essay! I can see a lot of Christian stuff in the Prof's works...especially in The Silmarillion with Eru and Melkor...

[HobbitFriend]

aw, thanks Lady Ashley :) and Andruil ;)
Yeah, as i began to read The Silmarillion, i found even more Christian references (esp. to Iluvatar in relation to God) and more... but that'd end up being another 100 page essay ;) haha (i'm exaggerating of course... my essay only ended being like 12 or something like that lol )
But actually... something i hadn't picked up on my own, my mom had pointed out to me the other day (yep, i got her to read LotR, and now she's hooked! She was like "hey, i should join that site you're always on"... :o hehe). She said the Tom Bombadil was kinda like Jesus: he saved the hobbits when they called upon him, and the Ring (ie. evil) had no affect on him... just like the story in the Bible how Jesus turned down the Devil's offer to him, therefore evil had no affect on him.... ;) perty good point i thought! Well, i can't think of everything now, can I! lol

And i'm open to any other suggestions also! I mean the list certainly doesn't stop there! This can also include what you find in the Sil too... or the Hobbit or any of Tolkien's works. Just because my essay focused on The Lord of the Rings, it doesn't stop there! ;)

[Periantari Andruil]

I think the Valar is an example of allusion also... Tolkien used these mystical people to be like Gods...kind of like Greek gods i thought...

i find the dates (Dec. 25th, Mar. 25th) in which Tolkien had the Fellowship leave Rivendell to the time that the Ring is destroyed as so interesting... Being such a devout Catholic, it's obvious that he would use these dates...

Critics have said that it's too one sided evil or one sided good, and that has to do with religious aspects since Tolkien was such a religious man..

I think the chapter "Scouring of the Shire" represents in a way his view against the destruction of nature... though not allegorical, the Shire can be thought to be where he lived as a lad as well.... those are some aspects of allusion... and i heard that Moria was inspired by ...something war-like as well i think...
something to do with mines that he had read in the newspapers... don't really remember details... but it had to do with war mines and such....

[Catz]

while i agree that Christianity is one of the metaphors that can be illustrated by LOTR, it is by no means the only religion that you could say was being referenced
yes Tolkien was Catholic, but lets not forget he was also a scholar and had studied the mythological sagas of many races, in particular northern Europe
while you could say that Frodo was a Christ like figure.........you could also see him as a sacrifice..........the pure of heart individual who goes willingly to his doom for the good of his people........this is a strong image in many of the scandanavian myth cycles.........that individual then being rewarded by being taken to Valhalla to live with the "gods"
Iluvatar may seem to be a God the Father like image...........but he could also be seen as an Odin like image.........the skyfather who was the keeper of all knowledge........and the pantheon of the Valar is much more like the norse Pantheon than anything in Christian literature, since in Norse myth, the gods each taught certain skills to men..........and the image of music and writing being sacred is also a norse idea
now im not saying that there isnt any christian metaphor in LOTR...........just that its not the only religion referenced, nor is it the only one that could be
oh and thats a great paper Hobbitfriend ;)......i may not agree with all your conclusions, but its well thought out, and adroitly put:thumbs:
:catz:

[HobbitFriend]

thanks, Catz! And you've got a good point there... My paper just focused on the allusion to Christianity in The Lord of the Rings, but i'm sure Tolkien had many other allusions in there... and not only religious either. You can see in places, like The Scouring of the Shire, where war had an affect on his writing

[Pearl Took]

HobbitFriend,
I really really enjoyed your essay. I always saw these Christian values in the story but your essay showcases them perfectly. It really is an enjoyable read...especially for a Catholic ;) ;)
That wizard thing in particular, I always wondered about. Thanks for clearing that up for me.
Maaaan, makes writing an essay sound so much more exciting, if you can write about LotR.


:rock:

[HobbitFriend]

lol thanks for the kind words, Pearl :) And yeah, i have to admit that this was one essay i actually enjoyed writing ;) But it was a lot of work... i had to do it in steps and it took me a long time, but I think it was worth it :) Afterall, it was worth three quarters of my grade for the term! :o

[Periantari Andruil]

I really love Catz point of Frodo being a Christ-like figure... I have always pondered about it and was wondering whether that would make a good topic for a new thread in the LotR library.. but yes.. Frodo was redeemed at the end by his sympathy to Gollum by his not killing him at the Emyn Muil gave way for the plans of Iluvatar to have Gollum be his ultimate "savior" in terms of helping him get rid of the Ring... Frodo is so pure and he also forgives so much...
(for example with the ruffians and his reluctance to strike out in the Scouring...)
hehe.. maybe Frodo as a Christ-like figure is worth another thread by itself hehe =) :grin: