LotR - an allegory? No, not WW2 this time, I promise... ;)

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by Formendacil

Again, it could just be my own sense of the word, but "allegory" seems more applicable to a single work, whereas "theme" seems more appropriate to a body of works, and also sidesteps the issue of whether this is the author's planned browbeaten topic.

While I agree with your explanation of allegory as a one for one pointing, with the pointing being the main purpose, it could be argued that allegory is not limited to one work alone. Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress was a two-parter, with the first book Pilgrim's journey and the second his wife's. (By the way, a 1778 edition of PP includes a fold out map of the places to which Pilgrim travels. Shades of LotR's maps!). Spencer's The Fairy Queen was first published in three books and then re-released in six. Spencer's letter to Raleigh actually outlines plans for 24 books. Now these works might have more thematic purpose or unity than Tolkien's works, but they do suggest that allegory need not be limited to one work alone.

I like this clarification, athough it would be fun to discuss the nature of dragons in Tolkien, none of which, I just remembered, exist in LotR.

[morwen edhelwen]

Bethberry, if you don't mind being corrected.. Pilgrim's Progress' hero is named Christian and his wife is Christiana. The book is mentioned in Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Legate

I could say it simply: I am certain I would have liked to meet a Dragon, however at the same time of course I would not have liked to really meet him, just like Tolkien did.

Very neat observation!


I think that the allegory/theme is about the disappearance of magic (as much as Galadriel objects to that word in LOTR). Now we want proof for everything. Logic. Evidence. What evidence is there in immortal creatures with pointy ears who sing about stars or their glowing swords? None, in "our" world. Therefore it's all a myth/fairy tale/simply lie. But at the same time, they are here, whatever the "here" is.

Sci-fi novels today are usually based on a set of scientific rules/assumptions/proofs/abilities (either current or futuristic), and they hardly ever include the beauty of unexplained things - things that shouldn't be explained. If we found out everything, the world woulfd be a very boring place. However, we never know if we indeed found out everything, because there might be something else lurking around the corner witing for us to relax...........

Anyways, the acceptance / belief in magic is one thing that makes legends and mythologies so beautiful.