Quote:
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Is it a literally real place?
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Sometimes I think it is both and the third too
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Er... how do you define
real?
If the
real world is the one communicated to the brain by means of senses, than Tolkien's world is real, just the routes of communication are poorer - merely sight, no other senses taking part in the process. I suppose, if I were from the day of my birth, say, placed into some locked room, and my only means of getting data about outside world were books, on my own, unless told by someone that Tolkien's was a 'fiction', I would believe it to be the history, and maybe reject some genuine and verily real biography as a work entirely made up?
If real is something which conforms to standard of 'reality' inherent to human beings, than something may be more 'real', less 'real' or as 'real' etc. Like PC helmet and gauntlet and costume (I don't know the correct terms, but I believe you know what I mean). If the programme substituting the 'real' world is done prefectly, there is no way of telling you are inside it. But, there is no way of telling that what we experience now is not such a substitue, but 'real' world either. (er, Matrix, of course, may have had something to do with it, but not much - that piece of thinking was done long before Neo. Nevertheless, Matrix may be a goodly illustration to it)
Furthermore, if there were such a 'standard of reality', some built-in ability of recognition of it, than the fact that LoTR 'rings true' for such a great number of people may be an indicator of:
A. The world Tolkien described
is the real place (I certainly knew it was real up to my middle teens. Than I grew up, but sometimes I still wonder - which of me - the one dozen years back or the current one, - is right?)
B. His skill of an artist was so great, and subcreation so perfect, that the likeness to real world achieved is astounding
But, even if it were B option we are in for here, the distinction somehow ceases to matter? As in both cases we react to it as to 'real place'? (Unless, of course, some Morpheus (not the old type, the other one, one of leather coat and red pill) comes to drag us out of it)
Besides, the question (with a capital T stuck into it) hovers somewhere beyond sight, yet very much present - um, where exactly the built-in standard of reality came from?
PS
If it does remind you of invisible cats in chairs, please do not hesitate to inform me