The atrocity of the Akallabêth

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Raynor

Two issues, both raised before:
- Tolkien applied Christian percepts to interpreting and commenting on LotR
- how could two transcendent realities differ?

You're discussing this with a Universalist. So of course I am going to tell you that are limitless transcendent realities. I have no problem with there being even limitless interpretations of Christian transcendent realities, nor with limitless interpretations of Eruist transcendent realities. That wasn't perhaps what you expected, but that's where I come from and possibly why I can accept Eru for what he is within that context.

About Tolkien applying Christian concepts to interpreting LotR - I think he did indeed apply some in retrospect*, but as for the actual drafting, I think rather he was most careful not to put specifics in there.

* And that's interesting in itself - as he took his place as mere reader alongside us, interpreting his own work. It's also not uncommon. Philip Pullman does much the same, pondering the 'meaning' of his own work and often making contradictory statements. Makes you wonder about the whole business of being creative...is it all just a psychological outpouring of influences?

On to Melkor...I think the text is clear that he came from Eru. It's possibly a difficult thing to accept if you have a particular view of your own God as being absolutely Good, but note, this idea is consistent with Catholicism, so is quite possibly actually the way Tolkien saw things in reality. And it's not a difficult thing to accept if you simply step back and view the work dispassionately (i.e. by not thinking of your own 100% Good version of God as you read).

Melkor being who he is and stemming from Eru makes the whole thing hang together. It does not make you question why Eru decided to create a flawed world, makes events like Numenor possible. It's also much more interesting from the writer's point of view - he was able to 'let rip' with horror and evil in this creation, and likewise, to contrast it with genuinely meaningful forces of Light. And what's more, it enables the writer to do things like have Numenor destroyed and not have his own sense of morality brought into question by readers - this was the action of a created God who himself created Melkor so does not have to be restricted to doing just the nice and fluffy kinds of things.