People
whisper of the battles from Lord of the
Rings in hushed voices of awe and wear homemade t-shirts and jewelry adorned
with quotes and pictures form the series. Why is there such a hype with these
four books? What makes them different from any other series? Well, I will tell
you. It may be the simplest good against evil scenario, but it is a 100 times
more complicated than that. The stories, the people, and the events that weave
themselves through the book truly creates the phenomenon of the Lord of the Rings.
1.
The hero (Frodo) isn’t always the hero.
Frodo is severely flawed. He can’t resist
the Ring, he throws himself into danger needlessly, and he wouldn’t have
survived without Sam or the others. Yet he is still the hero. He takes the
weight of the world, literally, and sacrifices himself for the welfare of the
others. Yet the book acknowledges that someone can’t be the hero 100% of the
time. For example, when Sam took the Ring and became the hero because “a new
strength grew in him… and found that he could… bear his burden.” (387).
2.
The type of magical creatures are outstanding!
From elves to hobbits, the creatures in
the book capture the imagination of many. They have complicated values and
social standings. And J.R.R. Tolkein manages to make them connect to average
people and the struggles they go through. My absolute favorites would be the
Ents. Treebeard discusses the pain of his people over the loss of the Entwives
and how his race is dying out. He tells of the love for his job and his love
for nature. And though these may seem like simple things, the Ents capture the
imagination and make you smile and laugh and look at trees in a whole other
light. All the differing creatures make the book the series that have been
talked about for generations.
Even though the book is filled with magic
and evil tyrants and powerful Rings and armies of the dead, it still manages to
connect itself with our world. It talks about oppression and its effect on
people like in middle world countries today. It also talks about deforestation
and its effect on the surrounding wildlife. “Down on the borders they are
felling trees—good trees. Some of the trees they just cut down and leave to rot”
(76). Because of the Ents deep connection to the forest it allows readers to
see deforestation in a whole new light. Allows the reader to connect more to
the story.
4.
The friendships made are inspiring.
Nine people are thrown together onto a
quest and the bonds they create defy the evil they face. Legolas and Gimli,
though their races don’t like each other, overcome their differences and create
a very strong and very funny relationship. The hobbits depend upon Aragorn and
Boromir and they love the “little ones”. These friendships in the face of eminent
doom provides hope and happiness and makes the readers want to see them through
it all.
Sauron is ancient and powerful and has
caused many hardships throughout the land. He has thousands of followers and
magic to boot. Yet even though he seems unstoppable, J.R.R. Tolkein is able to
make us connect and believe full-heartedly in his characters. He makes us want
to see them through to the very end. He gives the characters flaws and the
enemy none, yet even so, the readers believe the heroes can kick his all-powerful
butt. He makes the readers love them and they don’t mind. “War must be, while
we defend our lives against a destroyer who would devour all; but I do not love
the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the
warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend” (314).
These
are the reasons Lord of the Rings is
so popular. It isn’t about the fight of good against evil, though it does play
a role in it; it is the fact that this magical world is able to be applied to
everyday life as well and the adventurer and dreamer within us all. Lord of the Rings will survive for
centuries to come, and then some.
Thanks for all of your hard work this semester, Maddie!
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