Shell-shocked Frodo .... or .... PTSD in LOTR

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by lmp

Nothing so mercernary. The story that wrote Tolkien (yes I mean to say it that way) brought Frodo through the harrowing journey, and Tolkien, true writer that he was, gave the necessary results.

Oh, it's hardly mercenary at all and my point was not to suggest it. Tolkien was a master storyteller and storytellers exist to beguile--in the best possible sense--their audience. In order to understand, to feel, to enjoy the story, readers need to connect with Frodo.

That was the idea behind my question, that the cauldron matters.

There are many writers who, like Tolkien, suffered the loss of a parent in childhood and that loss works its way into their writing. It's a fascinating topic that cannot be easily dismissed simply by saying the writers use their own personal experience. There's something about writing and recovery. And reading and recovery. And story.