The Effects of Fantasy

[Tigerlily Gamgee]

Wow, this is a pretty deep thread so far, but inspiring nonetheless. Child of the 7th Age... I, too, originate from Detroit! Anyway, here is my response:

Fantasy has been in my life for as long as I can remember, even though I didn't read LOTR until last January. I remember when I was little that I always believed that there were magical beings on this earth. I always watched for unicorns and faeries. I believed that they could help me escape and find peace. They lived within my imagination quite a lot. It helped to find somewhere else to go when peers and school became cruel and hard to handle.
After leaving the unicorns I actually went to superheroes (which are also fantasy-like in a way). I began reading comic books and escaping there, building strength in myself through the strength of the characters...

Lord of the Rings has been great during these last few months. I think that fantasy is one of the last places on earth that you can find nobility in humans. Lord of the Rings is a great novel, but also a lesson in nobility, friendship, sacrifice, love, honor... and I could go on. I think that it teaches people about themselves. I found that reading these books has been a great escape for me, especially with my onset of depression over the past few months. I could find happiness in Tolkien's writing, so I find myself returning to it again and again.
I also like comparing the book to the movie. I am in acting school, so trying to go through the steps of creating such characters has actually helped me with my work. I enjoy seeing what aspect the actor's took from the books and what they found for themselves.
I am not very good at expressing what I really mean to say, but I hope you understand what I am getting at.
Overall, I think that any fantasy is an experience like no other and it can take you to worlds beyond your imagination.