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Could you have more vivid depictions of the widespread effects of war in the LotR? Absolutely. Tolkien could easily have added passages describing the battle deaths, villages being looted, etc. He had seen modern warfare at work in WWI, the father of all such beasts but he chose not to focus on that.
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Actually,
Child I think he DID focus on an aspect of that, although not in the realm of the thick of battle and loss of human life, so I agree to an extent but not all the way. The aspect I speak of is the loss of the rural way of life and the intrusion of the modern mechanized and imposed system of life (a sort of "rape of the Earth" if you will). This is illustrated not only in the Shire, but also in the despoiling of Saruman's own surroundings in Isengard, his felling of Fangorn's trees for the fueling of a larger scale war that included both Rohan and the Shire and had aspirations for even more. I think perhaps it could be argued that his focus on the Good forces struggling in the way they did against Saruman and Sauron illustrates a deep desire that the deluge that overwhelmed Britain and the whole world in WWI and WWII could have been diverted and brought into a new, more idealistic age if only there was a return to the old heroic traditions in their truest form, a purity of individual hearts and a purity of action as illustrated most keenly in Frodo and Aragorn.
I used to think as you may do now,
Eurytus that some of the characterizations were thin. Aragorn is the main case in point here for me. I find, though, that the more I reflect and the more I read of Tolkien's stories, the more I find depth in his characters. I see the difficulties of Aragorn's position and the uncertainties in his mind more because of the richness with which the entire situation of Middle Earth on the brink of war is drawn. Tolkien's strength was in the intricate and complete drawing of an entire realm, and this does not allow for as many momentary glimpses into the trivialities of everyday life, or even the not so trivial events that seem to hold sway in more socially focused novels today.
I find there are refreshing aspects of his choice to tell the story from the hobbits' POV, and I also admit there are uneven parts where the level of the language is hoisted above those same hobbits, but I do not begrudge this to him, for I also realize that the language is slowly rising with the level of involvement of the hobbits in the greater affairs of Middle Earth, and it is in the paradigm of language that Tolkien is most at home.
One could argue the flaws until doomsday, but I'll leave off soon! I would only say that your views of the novels being flawed,
Eurytus seem to issue from expectations that Tolkien's work does not address, a sort of modern mentality that Tolkien was running from as fast as his legs could carry him. Certainly there is massive loss in the War of the Ring that he admits he does not address. He only briefly relates that, in addition to the massive Battles of Pelennor Fields and at the Gate of Morannon, where there was, of necessity, great loss of life, there were also battles at Erebor and in Lothlorien, where the Dwarves and Elves sustained great losses. It was truly a "World War."
Thanks for allowing me to spout off a bit! I do enjoy discussion forums for just that property!
Cheers,
Lyta
[ October 25, 2003: Message edited by: Lyta_Underhill ]