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11-27-2002, 12:58 PM | #1 |
Haunting Spirit
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: North of the Iron Hills
Posts: 89
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connections form Tolkiens life to LOTR.
I just read the official biography by Carten Humphrey, and noticed some stuff...
For one, Tolkien hated flying, said that was "Immoral" or something to that degree. Could that be why the Eagles only come in the direst of situations? When Tolkien was three years old, he was bit by a Tarantula while living in South Africa, and would have died had the nurse not been there to suck the venom from the bite. That the reason for the huge spiders inhabiting ME? Some of this just made think. Thought I'd share it with you all...
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11-27-2002, 03:39 PM | #2 |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: In a box with a fox
Posts: 1,347
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Well, it is possible to read all sorts of stuff into LOTR
Tolkien was moved from queit Africa to busy, poluted London or something. Is that why "technologie" is made by Saruman who is a BAD character? Or maybe it is because he was in the war and technologie killed all kinds of people. Tolkien was a church-goer, maybe LOTR is an allegory of the bible or a biblical story? That's all that I can think of for now.
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11-27-2002, 04:27 PM | #3 |
Wight
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Not allegory! How many times has Tolkien stressed this in letters, and even in the introduction to LotR?
I heard somewhere that after Africa he lived in a quiet little town that was generally taken over by a mining facility. He thought of all his neighbors and friends as the hobbits, and the technoloy was sort of what would happen to the shire if Frodo failed. I also heard somewhere that the ring symbolized technology, but I'm not sure where...sorry for the lack of actual quotes.
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11-27-2002, 05:13 PM | #4 |
Ghastly Neekerbreeker
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: the banks of the mighty Scioto
Posts: 1,751
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Every author is going to lift something from their life experiences when they are writing a book. That's pretty much a given. This doesn't have to be considered allegory, just a good author following the old rule to "write about what you know".
I suppose if Tolkien was searching for what he considered to be the perfect beast villain, it would follow that he would choose a spider, (and it would be a pretty good choice, at that.) Even if you are not particularly afraid of spiders, one as big as a car would be enough to give anyone the creeps. As for the Eagles: I believe I read some reference about the Eagles not choosing to involve themselves in the affairs of Men except under very special circumstances. In fact, the Eagles seem to only assist Men (or Hobbits) at the bidding of Gandalf, at least in the Third Age. Since both Gandalf and the Eagles are affiliated with Manwë, I suppose this is only fitting. I'm very glad that Tolkien did choose to use the Eagles sparingly. Most readers think of them as a kind of Deus Ex Machina, (or perhaps that should be Aquilas Ex Machina). If he had used them to get his characters out of any kind of scrape, it would have been just too convenient. |
11-28-2002, 01:35 AM | #5 |
Wight
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How about the idea of war? If im not mistaken, in a documentary it mentioned Tolkiens services in war. That could be seen as another connection.
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'I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry'-Psalm 40 My M-e Forum |
11-28-2002, 08:43 AM | #6 |
Illustrious Ulair
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties
Posts: 4,240
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Tolkien Lived at Sarehole near (too near for him!) to Birmingham in the English Midlands, till, I think, he was about 8.
The Ring, according to his son Christopher, symbolised The Machine - 'The Machine' for Tolkien wasn't just technology/machinery, it was our use of technology to control & coerce others - to force them to live as we want them to. So, the Ring is the ultimate machine. Christopher also says Magic is part of the Machine mentality, if it is used to impose control on others. So The 'Machine' is a mentality, the mentality which builds & uses machinery, rather than the machines themselves. Good source for this is a vhs - JRRT -A fim portrait of JRR Tolkien, available through the Tolkien Society, among others, which has a very long interview with Christopher Tolkien, & Tolkien's other children & friends who knew him. Lots of insights into Tolkien's works. |
11-28-2002, 08:53 AM | #7 |
Illustrious Ulair
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties
Posts: 4,240
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This is the Amazon address for the JRRT vhs, but its in the UK PAL vhs format, so won't play on US machines http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...217966-8623664
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