Often dodged is the fact that JRR Tolkien was a Christian and his fiction held part of himself – his Christian self.
The late Gene Wolfe said it best: “What is impossible is to keep [my Catholicism] out. The author cannot prevent the work being his or hers.” (https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/sci-fis-difficult-genius -- often hidden behind a paywall…but it’s there)
Tolkien couldn’t hide his Christianity because his faith was one of his core beliefs. Absolutely he and his colleague CS Lewis had problems. Of course, so did the Apostle Paul; Peter – the Rock on which Jesus built his Church; and quite famously and loudly, Doubting Thomas.
But THE HOBBIT and LORD OF THE RINGS are rife with Christian allegory, message, and (horrors!) preaching.
It’s also filled with contradictions. It took me until well into adulthood, after reading the books two or three (or four or five…) times, and watching the movies annually for the past decade or so, to realize that the HERO of Lord of the Rings is SAMWISE GAMGEE. Frodo was not a hero and in the end, he nearly gave Middle Earth over to Sauron. But Gollum/Smeagol – someone even LESS of a hero than Frodo and MORE under control of the Ring, defeated Frodo’s intent of keeping the ring and becoming a tool of the Dark Lord – and Gollum was amply and permanently repaid for his folly.
Cute Frodo – Minion Of The Dark Lord…NOT the image we like to keep of him. But the image of Elijah Wood holding the One Ring on the chain, at arms-length in front of his face, suspended over the fires of Mount Doom and with no intention of dropping it?
This image is deeply chilling. Even more chilling because for most of the story, I identify with FRODO. I’m the hero of the tale; the one who carries the ring into Mordor and into Mount Doom and saves the day!
But on further reflection, that’s NOT what happened. Frodo, rightfully so, is so exhausted that Sam has to fight Gollum. Sam has to pick up Frodo and carry him up the side of the erupting volcano (of Doom, if you prefer). Then he falls, beans Gollum, and Frodo runs the rest of the way. Sam follows him, fully expecting Frodo to have thrown the Ring over the edge…
He plunges into despair when it’s clear Frodo will NOT divert the ultimate subjugation of Middle Earth under the vile, satanic reign of Sauron, the Dark Lord. Sam watches as Frodo drops the chain and prepares to put the Ring on; to keep the Ring; to be crushed by Sauron who will use the Ring to rule ALL…
As the moment of Sauron’s victory moves ever closer, the dark minions of Sauron begin to hammer the survivors of the Fellowship of the Ring; the last King of Man is literally under the foot of Sauron; Gimli, Legolas, Pippin, and Meriadoc are falling. The Eye is blazing ever brighter…
Then Gollum knocks Sam unconscious, likely with the intent of KILLING him…and the ancient evil that is Gollum leaps, bites Frodo’s finger off, drops it, then rejoices in possessing the One Ring…and Frodo tackles him…and the both go over the edge of the cliff…
Gollum doesn’t even notice that he’s falling, and even when he HITS the lava, he only has eyes for the Ring…he sinks, and the Ring begins to melt…
And Sam doesn’t run away. He rescues Frodo from the Abyss, from certain, eternal doom. HE REFUSES TO LET GO…
Sound like Someone Else we know? Sam has also remained the repository of all that is good in the Shire, which is remarkably Heaven-like…and Sam is there, knowing EXACTLY what happened and deflecting all glory and honor to Frodo…loving him so much.
And so, Samwise Gamgee, the most humlesest hobbit, sends Frodo on his way to eternal life with the Elves…
I rest my case.
Resource: https://theimaginativeconservative.org/2021/08/good-news-return-king-michael-jahosky-bradley-birzer.html?utm_source=The+Imaginative+Conservative+Newsletter&utm_campaign=fe2fd67cf0-Weekly+Newsletter_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6c8d563f42-fe2fd67cf0-132633794&mc_cid=fe2fd67cf0&mc_eid=41c39978cb&fbclid=IwAR0HRv2oj5r88QMP1PhykJntjEer-5BNXaMaGZjF_76wuL2mu0X0qnfUZKU,
Image: https://fictionhorizon.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/LordoftheRings06-scaled-1024x576.jpg
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