The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum - View Single Post

Bêthberry · 04-05-2003, 11:22 AM

Child, for me as well that final gating/enclosure of The Shire marks a failure of vision, at least on Aragorn's part. And without necessarily resorting to authorial intention, I would suggest that this pattern reflects a primary condition of meaning in LOTR, the (allegedly) mutually-exclusive dichotomy of good and evil. This is the principle which to me structures Tolkien's work.

This dichotomy sets values in hierarchial opposition to each other, so that difference is emphasised rather than similarity. I might even argue that it produces a projection of negative qualities onto the Other which dooms the best efforts of those who would be good because they, consequently, cannot see error in themselves. To elucidate this any further would require a foray into those scholarly areas which tend to go nowhere here. At any rate, the paradigms which I would use do not arise from an interpretive endeavour (what is the meaning) but an interest to see how meaning is created, or accrues, in LOTR.

Respectfully,
Bethberry

[ April 05, 2003: Message edited by: Bethberry ]

04-05-2003, 11:22 AM	#27
Bêthberry Cryptic Aura Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 6,003	Child, for me as well that final gating/enclosure of The Shire marks a failure of vision, at least on Aragorn's part. And without necessarily resorting to authorial intention, I would suggest that this pattern reflects a primary condition of meaning in LOTR, the (allegedly) mutually-exclusive dichotomy of good and evil. This is the principle which to me structures Tolkien's work. This dichotomy sets values in hierarchial opposition to each other, so that difference is emphasised rather than similarity. I might even argue that it produces a projection of negative qualities onto the Other which dooms the best efforts of those who would be good because they, consequently, cannot see error in themselves. To elucidate this any further would require a foray into those scholarly areas which tend to go nowhere here. At any rate, the paradigms which I would use do not arise from an interpretive endeavour (what is the meaning) but an interest to see how meaning is created, or accrues, in LOTR. Respectfully, Bethberry [ April 05, 2003: Message edited by: Bethberry ] __________________ I’ll sing his roots off. I’ll sing a wind up and blow leaf and branch away.