It’s difficult to go a week without hearing about Gandalf’s first visit to Bag End, the intrusive company of dwarves with confusing names, or the moment Bilbo first encounters the Ring of Power. As a follow-up to the incredible Lord of the Rings series, The Hobbit is set to hit theatres this December. But what’s so appealing about J.R.R. Tolkien’s stories that inspired the cast and crew to pour years of their lives into getting them on the big screen? What’s caused his stories to endure and continually captivate our imaginations, even across eras and generations?
Tolkien lived and wrote in an age of unprecedented violence and horror. The outbreak of the first and second World Wars, as well as the inception of genocide, concentration camps, and mechanized warfare, all brought about a realization of how depraved humanity really is.
Through his experiences as a Christian, a soldier, and an author, Tolkien chose to address the spirit of his age through story — specifically through fantasy. But how could a so-called “escapist” genre show something sufficiently encouraging in so dark an era? Could stories about elves, dragons, and dwarves say anything valuable in the age of modernity?
“Recovering” Fantasy
Tolkien was after something more serious than entertainment in his writing. He wasn’t using fantasy to get away from reality, but as a platform to commentate, engage with, and plunge both himself and his readers into it.
Tolkien was not the only author of his time using the fantasy genre to talk about issues on everyone’s mind. Think of Orwell’s Animal Farm, Golding’s The Lord of the Flies, or Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five. What if these writers just wrote factual essays on Totalitarianism and the fragmented morality of the 20th Century, instead of giving us the imaginative landscapes of their novels? I don’t think they would have even tried; they believed strongly in fantasy over realism as a way to communicate their present reality. Besides, fantasy is more enjoyable to read!
When Tolkien expressed real world ideas through fantasy he called it “recovery.” By bringing readers into a different world, he gave them the opportunity to see old objects, concepts, or themes in a new way. Take the part in The Return of the King where Sam and Frodo journey through the dreadful land of Mordor, hopelessness mounting. Tolkien writes that as Sam looked upwards,
[He] saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty forever beyond its reach.
Of course this is poignant Christian imagery (though Tolkien has been clear his narratives are not allegory) but it also powerfully represents the darkness of the mid-twentieth century. Tolkien engages our intellect, imagination, emotions, and spiritual longing for unshakable hope.
The Artist as Sub-Creator
Tolkien used the fantasy genre because it was in line with his idea of the Christian artist as “sub-creator.” He acknowledged God as the only Creator capable of making something from nothing, but he saw our gifts and imaginations as an invitation to participate in His creative work as “sub-creators.”
Tolkien said we’re like “refracted light, through whom is splintered a single White [beam].” Whatever our medium, we are able to bring light to the world through our creative abilities.
This brings up another important idea of the author: Eucatastrophe — a sudden joyful and happy ending. Throughout The Lord of the Rings, grandiose characters such as Aragorn, Elrond, and Théoden have little hope of victory in the face of exceedingly insurmountable odds and limitless evil. When all seems lost and at its worst, Tolkien chooses an unlikely ending: two insignificant Hobbits save the entire realm of Middle-earth. Eucatastrophe has taken place.
And how does Tolkien make sense of such an incredible ending? Once again he points to the gospel. He says the Christian sub-creator can use Eucatastrophe to reflect the joyous light of Christ’s rising from the dead.
Taking Tolkien’s example of Christian artistry opens a huge realm of possibilities. Like him, we can comment on the spirit of our times, addressing and incorporating the role of God today.
Even though The Lord of the Rings has no explicit allegorical connections to Biblical characters, and is not overtly Christian in subject, Tolkien does consistently blend his narratives with elements of physical and spiritual reality. He weaves together the important themes and ideas that demand our consideration. In this way, Tolkien’s work is an excellent and enjoyable tool for our edification as well as for our education as sub-creators.
