The secret of The Lord of the Rings
A "case" literary
The Lord of the Rings is a small literary event.
From 1955 to date has sold over 100 million copies and been translated into 30 languages.
In Italy, between 1970 and 1999, Rusconi forty-four published reprints of the work; Bompiani in the last three years has sold 600 000 copies of the book.
really not bad considering that this is a book of more than 1200 pages (excluding appendices), published by a publishing house "niche", translated by a little girl (Victoria Alliata of Villafranca was then 15 years), which has enjoyed very few reviews, and virtually ignored by the intellectuals.
Not to mention that this is a novel about orcs, elves, dragons and other such things, and that the Italian intelligentsja, obsessed with "realism" and "neo-realism", he could digest in only one study on ' cultural anthropology and the sub-culture of the "masses" Italian.
How, then, that a book like this has had tremendous success - in Italy and around the world -? And why is a book so important? Why it's worth losing a night?
Tonight we will try to answer these questions.
"In the beginning was the Word" (1)
How did The Lord of the Rings? John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was a philologist, he taught English language and literature at Oxford, as a child he was fascinated by the words and language (especially Scandinavian). He even invented a few languages, gradually become more sophisticated, the one that pleased him most was derived from the Finnish language (which later became the Quena or High Elf) (2).
As a philologist, he knew that a language is not a sterile thing, in itself, but something that has a story that was born and raised in an environment, an environment that brings with it the countless stories of people who speak it. He decided to invent a people and a land for his "fairy odd language."
But Professor Tolkien had another big wish: to create a mythology for his country, England, who had the strength, majesty and poetry of Nordic myths.
From these two great passions was born the The Book of Lost Tales, what we know with the title of The Silmarillion, which Tolkien began writing during the First World War.
The Silmarillion is the cosmogony of the universe created by Tolkien. It tells of the Creator (Iluvatar) that creates the world singing together with an amazing melody Ainur, the angels called to collaborate with him. Iluvatar then created the main living races: Elves, Men, Dwarves ... But the most powerful and most beautiful of the Ainur, Melkor, envious of the creative power of God, decided to rebel and to devote himself to the dissolution and corruption of created. Melkor was then confined to the ground followed by some Maiar, lesser spirits (including Sauron, Ungoliant - the "mother" of Shelob - the Balrog), and with them will produce the terrible races of orcs, werewolves, trolls and dragons . The first had ended with the victory of the Elves and Men on the evils of Melkor.
Men who opposed Melkor got to settle down on the island of Númenor, in Valinor, where he resided the Valar (the Ainur who had the task of presiding over the law of the land), and Middle Earth.
Numenoreans But, egged on by Sauron decided to wage war but to the Valar: Valar Numenor responded by removing the waves. Men who had remained faithful to the Valar returned to Middle-earth. Thus ended the second era.
The third was the creation of the rings and the events recounted in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit"
Tolkien but also had another passion: writing stories for His children (John, Michael, Christopher and Priscilla). The Hobbit is one of these (3).
Tolkien says that "The Hobbit" was born while correcting the duties of his students. One of them left a blank page and he scribbled it on these words: "In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit." Many have questioned and questioned about the origin of the word Tolkien's "Hobbit", but this question still remains unanswered (4). A former student of Tolkien, who worked for the publisher Allen & Unwin, suggested this book for publication. The publisher had it read to his son Rayner, age ten, who wrote a review of a few lines ending with these words: "This book, aided by maps, no need any illustration is beautiful and good for all children between five and nine years" (5). The book was published (1937) and had a great success, so that the publisher asked Tolkien to write a new book about hobbits.
Tolkien began as a new book that had as protagonists of the hobbits, only decided to set in Middle-earth during the Third Age. This book was then told of another who made up The Lost Tales Silmarillion (6).
Tolkien took 12 years (1938 to 1949) to write The Lord of the Rings (this was the title of the book). The book was divided into three volumes, of which the first two were released in 1954 (the third in 1955). In 1956 he was the first translation in Dutch in 1965 came the first edition (not authorized) of the American novel. The legend had begun.
Themes of The Lord of the Rings
The plot of The Lord of the Rings is definitely known, thanks to the success of the Jackson movie, you do not need a reminder.
To answer the question "Why The Lord of the Rings is a book so important?" Is worth dwelling on the main themes of the novel.
Above all there was to The Lord of the Rings is the story of a journey, a journey that the characters will make not only on the streets of Middle-earth, but also in themselves. All the characters change, but change - which seems a contradiction - remaining true to yourself ... look more closely at this issue forward.
We know that the theme of the trip was particularly important to the medieval culture, of which Tolkien was in love with that man was homo viator, the traveler, and his life journey. In the myths that Tolkien had studied, also was present the theme of "search", the quest: the hero must face a long journey during which he encountered many dangers, to gain an object that can ensure happiness. The Lord of the Rings is instead a "search" On the contrary, the hero must face a long journey full of danger to destroy the object, not to conquer it. So
The Lord of the Rings is the story of a sacrifice.
Not only all the positive characters of The Lord of the Rings, perform their personal sacrifice.
The most obvious is to Gandalf head of the Fellowship of the Ring, rather than take shelter from the Balrog met at the bridge of Khazad-dum with the Ring-bearer, decides to face first-person combat to allow others to get away (7). And dies.
Aragorn is willing to protect Frodo in cost of living (8), Boromir falls defending the Hobbits (9); Arwen renounces immortality for love of Aragorn (10).
Frodo is ready to sacrifice going to Mount Doom in order to save the County (11), and so the other Hobbits. Finally
Galadriel, who performs his or her resignation with a statement of great significance, as we shall see:
"" I passed the test, "he said. "Will I lose my powers, and I will go West, and remain Galadriel." (12) "
But the sacrifice, The Lord of the Rings, has nothing to do with masochism, none of the characters is happy to sacrifice and the sacrifice is not an end in itself. Sacrifice is a voluntary ban is necessary to complete its task, the waiver is made in view of the greater good and won the other, an extreme act of love. It seems paradoxical, but the full realization of their task requires self denial. At this point, however, incredibly, triggered a counter-paradox: when the characters give up everything, even to themselves, here at that time become more fully themselves (13). Gandalf, after his death, again - it is more correct to say that it is "postponed" - no longer gray, but white, and white indicates the maximum power and wisdom for the Istari, Aragorn, willing to sacrifice, becomes the king.
It seems, then, that the true travel, the real battle is to nell'autorealizzazione, being fully what we are, in performing its task to the end (14). This task requires for its realization, a sacrifice, but the rewards are great.
At this point we can wonder about the meaning of the Ring.
waiver Galadriel ring, and lists the consequences of his waiver: lose his powers, because the destruction of the One Ring of power will result in the loss of all other subjects to his rule, he will go to the West - and later we'll see what it means - and finally remain Galadriel, namely herself.
What does that last sentence?
We said that every character has a nature and its role is mainly to become fully itself, giving way to the kind of fully realized.
Galadriel seems to imply that the Ring would give strength and power, but would no longer be Galadriel. It 's like the power of the ring by loss of its nature, its soul. The strength and power would not be the result of an ascetic exercise, the full realization of self, the performance of his duty, but a perversion of all these things. This is a scam, as you know the Nazgûl: they are not to have power, but the power to possess them, they are "washed out", are no longer what they were, are slaves. E 'is a shortcut that takes away from their goal: a drug that can give the illusion of power while only slavery, which allows a doping substance, not the athlete to achieve the result (15).
Another issue, apparently the most obvious of the book is the clash between good and evil. This theme is seemingly obvious fact: the clash between good and evil which we see by reading The Lord of the Rings is one of a kind to which we are perhaps more accustomed to. Good is good and evil is evil, there is among them the possibility of confrontation or dialogue (16). Tolkien, in other words, totally rejects the Hegelian dialectic - is so widespread in our thinking - that the thesis and the antithesis are both necessary and who would develop the synthesis, the higher and better use of the first two. For Tolkien - we'll see better - there is good. What is opposed to good is evil - it is therefore no good - with which we can not compromise, but only to fight.
If this is true for good and for evil, the novel describes a Manichean struggle between good and be completely and definitively be completely and definitively bad. Universe Tolkien created bad no one is: are all created good. It seems strange that The Lord of the Rings is populated by evil creatures and that none of them has been created so yet, referring to The Silmarillion, Iluvatar created the world in harmony. Reviewing the evil characters in The Lord of the Rings, we find that it is.
Gollum, before being corrupted by the power of the ring, it was the hobbit Smeagol, orcs elves that are not "degraded and depraved" (17), was one of the Istari Saruman (18) - indeed, the most powerful and important of Istari - five Maiar whose duty it was to oppose Sauron, the Balrog and Ungoliant are two Maiar (19), the same as Sauron (20), even Morgoth, the most evil, was one of the Ainur, indeed: it was one to which "were granted the highest qualities of power and knowledge" (21)!
How do you become "bad"? In two ways: either choosing the wrong (as Sauron, Shelob and the Balrog), or looking for a compromise with evil (as Saruman or Boromir).
E 'is evident, then, as the struggle between good and evil takes place mainly in the minds of characters: Frodo, Galadriel, Gandalf, Aragorn, Boromir ... they all must fight, even before Sauron, against oneself, against his own pride.
Once it is abandoned the good road is really bad, "or prisoners, the Nazgul are, for example, the" servants "of the Ring. Only those who choose the good is free, those who choose evil becomes a slave of evil (22). The positive characters in the novel are all still free, for example, no one forces Frodo to carry the Ring, and all members of the Fellowship are free to "delay or turn back or divert to other routes, depending on the case "because" no swearing and no constraint forces you to go one step further than they want "(23).
reverse is also true? That is: who is evil can once again become good? Can be, but it is more difficult. Boromir, for example, acknowledges his guilt, atones by his death and received forgiveness from Aragorn. Frodo, for example, fervently hopes that Gollum is not completely lost because he feels that it is fraying the ring, because Gollum has the possibility for a moment, back to being a nothing but a tired old Hobbit, but its an angry reaction at that time Sam takes away any possibility of redemption (24).
But even the battle between good and evil seems to be the main theme of the novel, something still escapes. Many commentators have tried to find the key to understanding the work, there was even that given political interpretations and even those who have hypothesized that it was an allegory of the power given by the atomic bomb. So Tolkien said in a letter to a reader:
"Of course my story is an allegory of atomic power, but the power (exercised through domination)" (25).
So the problem is solved: the crux of the story is over.
Yet it seems strange for the entire novel Aragorn fights (even against their own fears) just to get to power, to be king! This is his task, and this is what will the end of the novel Aragorn, and Aragorn is definitely a positive character. Something is clear, no returns.
Continuing in the letter, in fact, Tolkien explores his thoughts:
"I think even the power, or domain, is the very core of my story. It provides the pretext for a war, and it's something dark and menacing enough to seem at the time of supreme importance, but is mostly a framework that allows characters to show themselves for what they are. The central theme for me is about something far more eternal and difficult: Death and Immortality: the mystery of the world in a race destined to leave and apparently losing it, the anguish in the hearts of a race not going to leave him, until its cycle born from evil is not complete. "(26)
Death and immortality? What do you mean Tolkien to "death and immortality"? And what is the race that would leave the world and, apparently, to lose it?
The theme of death shines in effect for the whole work: the Ring seems to give a long life, but in fact gives a very long death. In addition, the various races of Middle-earth does not have the same life expectancy. The Elves are immortal, the life of the dwarf can exceed two hundred and fifty (27); the Númenoreans, the lineage of Aragorn, had a life "three times longer than that of men of Middle-earth" (28), also Hobbit had a longer life of Men (29). It therefore seems that the Hobbit, but men are the weaker race, not only for the short-lived also because they are fascinated and the power of the Ring more than any other race, more than any other race are subject to failures , betrayals and defeats (30). Yet they will be confined to a particular role.
Elves, then, are immortal. They are the "Firstborn", the first created by Iluvatar on Middle-earth (31). Yet are not the happiest creatures: they are torn by melancholy and nostalgia. Melancholy because they, as immortal, assist the slow but inexorable decline of the things of the world; nostalgia for the West, namely the disappearance Numenor for Valinor, the land inhabited by the Valar. The Elves have tasted the sweetness of living in harmony with the heavenly creatures and do not have peace on Middle-earth, knowing what fate awaited them with joy (32).
However, they can not freely leave Middle-earth and go to the West: they oppose with their power and their strength to Sauron, the evil. Only when the Ring is destroyed and they have lost their powers, only then they will have completed their task and will, as announced Galadriel, go west (33).
But that moment will be the return of the King! Aragorn has completed its journey and will be ready to take his place: King will be on middle ground, he and his family, the men will be left with the task of fighting against evil. Sauron Defeated, in fact, evil will not disappear from the earth, but is present in other forms:
"Other evils may come, for Sauron himself is but a servant or emissary. But not for us to master all the tides of the world, our task is to strive for the salvation of the year in which we live, uprooting the evil from the fields we know, to let those who come after the earth clean and healthy to cultivate. But the time will not depend on us "(34).
The Lord of Rings, however, there is also room for Providence (35).
Frodo, who arrived at the decisive moment of the story is over the abyss of Mount Doom: finally can make the gesture for which he fought and suffered, throw the Ring into the fire from which he was taken. It does not.
Frodo fails.
Suddenly, at the time, remembers how weak is the hero of the novel, after more than a thousand pages, after difficulties and dangers, at the decisive moment, he reveals himself in all his weakness. It is not the enemy to defeat Frodo, but its weakness.
Yet the mission succeeds, as he said Gandalf (36), with Gollum succeeds, ripping the ring but Frodo falls into the abyss with it. The compassion and mercy (the first of Bilbo, Frodo and above) have meant that the plan could be established by the providence course. But why Frodo get to Mount Doom was Aragorn and Gandalf must agree to serve as bait to Sauron. Gandalf and Aragorn did not know where he was Frodo, and Frodo did not know what was going on before the Black Gate. Everybody was doing exactly his duty, and this was to allow Providence could arrange things in a way as unpredictable as favorable.
Tolkien Catholic writer?
E 'no doubt that Tolkien was Catholic (37).
However, there is a debate that has as its object Catholicism of The Lord of the Rings is a Christian religious book and, indeed, a Catholic?
Some readers have identified several novel elements that can recall those of Catholic doctrine, such as the rise of Frodo to Mount Doom, some turn to the ascent of Christ on Calvary for the Sacrifice, or the lembas seen as Viaticum that "feeds the will [...] and that is most effective when you are fasting "(38).
Others, knowing the care that Tolkien used for distance and time (39), noted that some dates of The Lord of the Rings may have a special meaning. For example, the airline's departure from Rivendell - and, therefore, the beginning the journey to bring hope in Middle-earth - is December 25. The destruction of the ring is March 25, the date of the Incarnation - and the New Era - but also that of the first Good Friday.
However in the novel hits the absence of any explicitly religious element, the only exception seems to be the moment of silence that makes Faramir with his companions before the meal (though it is not prayer) (40).
This absence seems to be the trump card of the supporters of the argument that The Lord of the Rings would not be a Catholic novel.
Things are not so simple.
In 1953 the Jesuit Father Robert Murray, who had read and typescript drafts of The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien wrote to him that the reading had left him a strong sense of "a positive compatibility with the doctrine of Grace."
Tolkien replied with these words:
"The Lord of the Rings is fundamentally religious and Catholic work; the beginning I was not aware, I have become during the fix. This explains why I did not quote, in fact I cut almost any allusion to things like "religion" or cults or practices, in my imaginary world. Why the religious element is rooted in history and symbolism. However, that sounds so very rough and more pretentious than it actually is. Because to be honest, I have consciously planned very little, and I should be very grateful for being brought up (since I was eight years old) in a faith that has nurtured me and taught me all the little I know and this I owe my mother, who held out after he converted and died young, because of hardship and poverty that had resulted from the conversion "(41).
"The Lord of the Rings is fundamentally religious and Catholic work" here is what really cuts the head of the bull. Tolkien also takes pains to explain the absence of "any allusion to things like" religion ", or cults or practices "in his novel. Because, as we have seen, is a novel that is based on the internal struggle, the sacrifice that allows redemption; on a project that the Creator has for each of us and which have the duty to comply, that passes through our self-realization and the possibility of Providence to act in the world, the freedom that each of us has to choose between good and evil, and to lie about the possibility of finding a compromise between them.
The secret of his success: the response to an invocation
Now we can finally groped to give a reason for the success of this exceptional book.
Tolkien did not invent the world: he discovered.
The Lord of the Rings is set in an EU-topia, in an island that does not exist: Middle-earth is Europe, it is not even set in a u-cron: The Fourth Age, the 'was the men, it is our time. Tolkien did not invent a story, but he co-created - as the Creation is one - a myth, that is a different form to describe reality, this reality and this world to watch "reality in transparency."
This novel has a chance to talk to everybody, because it concerns all of us. Responding to a reader about the theme of the book, Tolkien wrote:
"But if I could asked, I would say that the story does not deal in reality of power and domination: two things you simply start the events: deal with death and desire for immortality. That is to say that the story was written by a man! "
That is to say, in short, that the main theme of the story is the one most interested in the man's death, the meaning of existence, its task in life.
missing now a last step: what is the success of this book? Why has fascinated and captivated millions of people? Here is how to respond
one of Tolkien's sons, Michael, this question:
"At least for me there nothing mysterious in turn followed in my father, whose genius did not respond to the invocation of the fact that people of all ages and character tired and nauseated by the ugly, instability, values \u200b\u200band philosophies that are passed off as trivial as their sad substitutes for beauty, the sense of mystery, exaltation, adventure, heroism and joy. Things without which the human soul withers and dies within him. "
As the saying to one of several songs from The Lord of the Rings, The deep roots do not freeze (45). This invocation is deeply linked to human nature, despite being buried under layers of ideologies and egos.
Tolkien responded to this appeal, and its readers I really appreciate this.
Edited by R. Marchesini
