[MLD-Grounds-Keeper-Willie]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> the entire series is based on WWII. JRR Tolken Wrote it to resemble the troubles of the time. The evil Sauron resembles Hitler and the German War Machine. Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, Frodo, Sam, and their friends represent the allies that had little hope but managed to forge onward. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>I know that Elanor already corrected you. Elanor is right that there is no allegory, but you could look at it as one. But what I really want to know is where did you get this idea from? I have a hunch it's the Nat'l Geo on LotR, Beyond the Movie. Am I right? I really think that Nat'l Geo made a lot of people think what you said.<P>I agree with Elanor on why she dislikes the obvious allegory. I believe that one of the reasons LotR is such an epic and timeless novel is because there is no allegory. Anything in LotR represents nothing. The good thing is that you <I>could</I> see Sauron representing Hitler, or the Two Towers representing the Twin Towers, but that does not mean does represent. If there were an allegory to Hitler and WWII, then LotR would be caged in that one timeframe, and I don't think it would be nearly as timeless or epic as it actually is. If you want to see things in LotR representing any thing in your life, that's fine. 400 years from now, people could see Gandalf as some high authority in thier life and time, but that doesn't mean it is. If it represented hitler, it wouldn't be as timeless or epic and people couldn't really relate to it all that well.<P>But for me, I don't like to read and think of allegories. I just like to read it as it is. Gandalf is Gandalf and Sauron is Sauron. Plain and simple is the way I enjoy it.<P>I think that the refugees do make a difference. It did make it look like a real life issue and a pressing one in the movie. And he did show how refugees running from war, can turn around and face the war.