Quote:
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but I am afraid there are no real parallels to be foune either
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Well . . . "parallels" is an ambiguous word.
Not valid are statements of the sort: "The Ring represents nuclear power" or "Rohan represents the U.S.A."
Valid indeed are statements of the sort: "The theme of power and corruption that is illustrated by the Ring can also be seen with nuclear power" or "the theme of one nation coming to the aid of another in a time of need can be seen in both Rohan and the U.S.A."
Then, once we are examining
this kind of non-allegorical statement, we must address dissimilarities and discrepancies in the application of the theme, like the fact that Rohan came to the aid of Gondor in fulfillment of an ancient oath whereas the U.S. came to the aid of the Allies because it had been attacked.
Words like "parallel" or "analogous" suggest the first kind of statment (allegorical), but
could conceivably be meant to indicate the second.