Onyx
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- Joined
- Apr 24, 2018
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I grew up with Tolkien - animations and story LPs when I was small, a Tolkien Bestiary as an adult, and then the Jackson films. But I never read the books, so I just finished doing that.
As I expected, they were good, boring in parts, much more detailed than any abridged adaptation could be and different from what I would have expected.
One thing that is really clear is that LOTR is not based on the Joseph Campbell paradigm. Frodo's quest is dogged, pessimistic and an act of duty that doesn't reward him.
As I neared the end I realized that only a few protagonists have any real agency - Sam, Merry, Pippin, Eowyn and Treebeard. These characters express aspirations and opinions, take surprising actions and confound the people around them while making pivotal contributions. Frodo, Theoden and Aragorn are important for their actions, but they more pre-programmed and essentially act in accordance with their duty, and don't really diverge from that path. Gimli, Legolas are pretty much just along for the ride and make no real contribution to the plot, even in circumstances like inside Moria where Gimli ought to have insight. But those first five have much to say about their changing understanding of the world, what they hope for and they make choices that are initially unwelcome but ultimately necessary. Only Sam could have gotten Frodo to Mt. Doom. Only Treebird could shatter Saruman's power after great consideration. Only Merry and a Eowyn could kill the Man-proof King of the Nazgul, and their selfish choices to defy orders made that possible.
Tolkien's characters make all sorts of comments about the nature of their world. The elves do not believe in "magic", but are like engineers that don't understand why everyone else is so amazed by magnetism. They seem to truly understand what makes the universe function, but are also so much part of that process that they have a hard time railing against world events and barely appear to contribute to the fight against Sauron.
Gandalf also hints that the structure of the world is much more complex than the clash between Sauron and the various people when he describes his plunge through the underground with the Balrog, which is another artifact of the mysterious world. I was left feeling like the action of the stories are really about the short-sighted power struggle between Sauron and Men, which Dwarves and Elves are merely sympathetic to.
Really, LOTR seems to want to deal with how the newer anomalous beings have upset the old paradigm - the five Wizards and the Hobbits. The Wizards came into being out of nowhere long after the pivotal events that shaped Middle Earth, and seem to be severely limited not just in their magic, but also in their knowledge. It took Gandalf nearly 80 years to figure out that the single most important and dangerous artifact in the fight against Sauron was found by Bilbo, as if magic rings are in any way common. His magic is so limited that even the Nazgul aren't particularly threatened by him, and Elrond is able to produce effects in the world of greater magnitude. It seems as if any elder Elf would have understood the significance and potential of Bilbo's ring upon initial contact.
(My pet theory is that the Istari aren't five Maia, but five aspects of a single Maia, which would explain why they are so limited and human, and why Gandalf is able to essentially take Saruman's magical status from him through rebirth.)
But the biggest anomalies are the Hobbits, who are fully engaged in the regular world, but largely resistant to the temptations Men give into so easily. They have no powers. They don't seem to fit into our myths, as if Tolkien shows us something like the Greek Pantheon but then adds a race of recently arrived aliens to the mix. The Hobbits are fully invested but so much less likely to be evil (different from the incorruptible Dwarves, who are resistant to lots of things but have their own failings). Hobbits are largely egalitarian, get along well with any race, self sufficient, talented and Gandalf, the Rangers and eventually Saruman find them important and interesting. Tolkien uses them to break the mythic paradigms, which always seem to lack people without strong self interest that are motivated primarily by being good souls.
Another aspect of Tolkien world that I thought fascinating was the physical attributes of the smaller races. Despite the size and obvious strength of Men and Elves, the smaller Orcs, Dwarves and even little Hobbits are able to run with them for hours on end. Hobbits are described as if they are physically like children, but the forced marches the barefooted Hobbits make through snow and volcanic terrain hint that they are powerful out of proportion to size, and have capabilities more like a 100 pound Ethiopien marathon runner or a honey badger. One of the biggest things the films miss out on is the sudden, violent and effective uprising against Saruman and the evil Men in the Shire at the end of LOTR. We never really get to fully witness the Hobbits power.
For me, the mysteries of Tolkien's Middle Earth are as interesting as the tale - Tom, what the Hobbits are, the balance between Ents and Trolls, the nature of the Undying Lands, the Balrog and Shelob, what Gandalf witnessed under the earth.
Anyway, thanks for listening to my ranting.
As I expected, they were good, boring in parts, much more detailed than any abridged adaptation could be and different from what I would have expected.
One thing that is really clear is that LOTR is not based on the Joseph Campbell paradigm. Frodo's quest is dogged, pessimistic and an act of duty that doesn't reward him.
As I neared the end I realized that only a few protagonists have any real agency - Sam, Merry, Pippin, Eowyn and Treebeard. These characters express aspirations and opinions, take surprising actions and confound the people around them while making pivotal contributions. Frodo, Theoden and Aragorn are important for their actions, but they more pre-programmed and essentially act in accordance with their duty, and don't really diverge from that path. Gimli, Legolas are pretty much just along for the ride and make no real contribution to the plot, even in circumstances like inside Moria where Gimli ought to have insight. But those first five have much to say about their changing understanding of the world, what they hope for and they make choices that are initially unwelcome but ultimately necessary. Only Sam could have gotten Frodo to Mt. Doom. Only Treebird could shatter Saruman's power after great consideration. Only Merry and a Eowyn could kill the Man-proof King of the Nazgul, and their selfish choices to defy orders made that possible.
Tolkien's characters make all sorts of comments about the nature of their world. The elves do not believe in "magic", but are like engineers that don't understand why everyone else is so amazed by magnetism. They seem to truly understand what makes the universe function, but are also so much part of that process that they have a hard time railing against world events and barely appear to contribute to the fight against Sauron.
Gandalf also hints that the structure of the world is much more complex than the clash between Sauron and the various people when he describes his plunge through the underground with the Balrog, which is another artifact of the mysterious world. I was left feeling like the action of the stories are really about the short-sighted power struggle between Sauron and Men, which Dwarves and Elves are merely sympathetic to.
Really, LOTR seems to want to deal with how the newer anomalous beings have upset the old paradigm - the five Wizards and the Hobbits. The Wizards came into being out of nowhere long after the pivotal events that shaped Middle Earth, and seem to be severely limited not just in their magic, but also in their knowledge. It took Gandalf nearly 80 years to figure out that the single most important and dangerous artifact in the fight against Sauron was found by Bilbo, as if magic rings are in any way common. His magic is so limited that even the Nazgul aren't particularly threatened by him, and Elrond is able to produce effects in the world of greater magnitude. It seems as if any elder Elf would have understood the significance and potential of Bilbo's ring upon initial contact.
(My pet theory is that the Istari aren't five Maia, but five aspects of a single Maia, which would explain why they are so limited and human, and why Gandalf is able to essentially take Saruman's magical status from him through rebirth.)
But the biggest anomalies are the Hobbits, who are fully engaged in the regular world, but largely resistant to the temptations Men give into so easily. They have no powers. They don't seem to fit into our myths, as if Tolkien shows us something like the Greek Pantheon but then adds a race of recently arrived aliens to the mix. The Hobbits are fully invested but so much less likely to be evil (different from the incorruptible Dwarves, who are resistant to lots of things but have their own failings). Hobbits are largely egalitarian, get along well with any race, self sufficient, talented and Gandalf, the Rangers and eventually Saruman find them important and interesting. Tolkien uses them to break the mythic paradigms, which always seem to lack people without strong self interest that are motivated primarily by being good souls.
Another aspect of Tolkien world that I thought fascinating was the physical attributes of the smaller races. Despite the size and obvious strength of Men and Elves, the smaller Orcs, Dwarves and even little Hobbits are able to run with them for hours on end. Hobbits are described as if they are physically like children, but the forced marches the barefooted Hobbits make through snow and volcanic terrain hint that they are powerful out of proportion to size, and have capabilities more like a 100 pound Ethiopien marathon runner or a honey badger. One of the biggest things the films miss out on is the sudden, violent and effective uprising against Saruman and the evil Men in the Shire at the end of LOTR. We never really get to fully witness the Hobbits power.
For me, the mysteries of Tolkien's Middle Earth are as interesting as the tale - Tom, what the Hobbits are, the balance between Ents and Trolls, the nature of the Undying Lands, the Balrog and Shelob, what Gandalf witnessed under the earth.
Anyway, thanks for listening to my ranting.