Fantasy

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

but there are more things Tolkien chose not to include, and it interests me why he did that.

Originally Posted by Post 16

Or, in short, how much should a writer - how much can a writer - get away with?

While I like lal's approach here--intrigued by omissions rather than assigning error or blame or falsehood--both her question and this earlier question from post 16 make a certain assumption about the nature of the imagination.

And that is, that "reality" or historical "fact" exists prior to any creative act, which must become some sort of deviation from that originary existence or a confirmation of it.

However, if we start with the idea that our perception of the world and experience originates in our mind--is our mind's response to our experiences-- then we do not have to deal with this idea of a Creative Fall but instead simply examine the world that is brought forth.

Tolkien, much earlier than most of us, came face to face with contemplating the tentativeness of life and the certainty of his own death. In response, he seems to have devoted his creative life to exploring the quality of goodness and the preciousness of life. In his personal life, he obviously passed a certain amount of time in pursuing the pleasures of companionship (and drink) and the devotion of family (in many unsentimental ways) without compromising his worldly responsibilties. Unless of course one thinks that his Legendarium, in garnering academic ridicule, did compromise those responsibilities.