Lord of the Rings Preview Site
Apple - Trailers - The Lord of The Rings
J.R.R. Tolkienīs Take on the Truth
Interview with Author Joseph Pearce on "Lord of the Rings"
Source: www.zenit.org
NEW YORK, NOV. 15, 2001 (Zenit.org).-
Catholic convert Joseph Pearce is author of two popular books on J.R.R. Tolkien,
"Tolkien: Man and Myth" and "Tolkien: A Celebration" (both
Ignatius Press).
With the film release of "Lord of the Rings" scheduled for next month,
Pearce mused about Tolkien (1892-1973) and his work in this interview with ZENIT.
Q: There have been criticisms of some fantasy stories because of their allegedly
pagan orientation. Do you see Tolkien's works as being part of this genre or is
it different?
Pearce: Tolkien spoke of myths and fairy stories, rather than
"fantasy." He was a lifelong practicing, and very devout, Catholic who
believed that mythology was a means of conveying certain transcendent truths
which are almost inexpressible within the factual confines of a
"realistic" novel.
In order to understand Tolkien's "philosophy of myth" it is useful to
commence with a maxim of G.K. Chesterton: "not facts first, truth
first." Tolkien and Chesterton were both intent on differentiating between
facts, which are purely physical, and truth, which is metaphysical.
Thus a myth or a fairy story can convey love and hate, selfishness and
self-sacrifice, loyalty and betrayal, good and evil -- all of which are
metaphysical realities, that is, true, even if conveyed in a mythological or
fairyland setting.
There is no need for Christians to worry about the role of "story" as
a conveyer of truth. After all, Christ was the greatest storyteller of all. His
parables might not be factual but they are always truthful.
Take, for instance, the parable of the prodigal son. Probably, Christ was not
referring to one particular son, nor one particular forgiving father, nor one
particular envious brother. The power of the story does not reside in its being
factual but in its being truthful.
It doesn't matter that the prodigal son might never have existed as an actual
person; he exists in each of us. We are all, at one time or another, a prodigal
son, a forgiving father or an envious brother. It is "applicable" to
all of us. It is the story's truth, not its facts, that matter.
This was Tolkien's point. Furthermore, there is more truth in "The Lord of
the Rings" than in many examples of fictional realism.
Q: In recent years, magic in diverse forms such as games, TV shows, etc., has
been very popular among young people. Given the way magical powers are presented
in the "Lord of the Rings," do you think that there could be any
dangers for youngsters?
Pearce: There is very little of what could be termed magic in "The Lord of
the Rings." There is much that is supernatural, but only in the sense that
God is supernatural, or that Satan is supernatural, or that good and evil are
supernatural.
It would be more accurate to describe the so-called magic in "The Lord of
the Rings" as miraculous, when it serves the good, and demonic, when it
serves the evil.
Tolkien's Middle-Earth, the world in which "The Lord of the Rings" is
set, is under the ultimate power of the One God. It is also under the corrupting
influence of Melkor, the fallen angel who is Tolkien's Satan.
The greatest of Satan's servants, Sauron, is the Dark Lord who is the enemy in
"The Lord of the Rings." In other words The Fellowship of the Ring is
in a fight to the finish with Satan's servants.
How can Christians possibly object to a quest, the purpose of which is to thwart
the evil designs of the demonic enemy? Far from being a "fantasy,"
"The Lord of the Rings" is a theological thriller.
Q: Do you think this was Tolkien's intention?
Pearce: There is no doubt that "The Lord of the Rings" is a profoundly
Christian myth, but that is not the same as saying that it is an allegory.
Tolkien disliked allegory because he saw it as a rather crude literary form. In
an allegory, the writer begins with the point he wishes to make and then makes
up a story to make his point. The story is really little more than a means of
illustrating the moral.
Tolkien believed that a myth should not be allegorical but that it should be
"applicable." In other words, the truth that emerges in the story can
be applied to the truth that emerges in life.
There is, therefore, a good deal of truth in "The Lord of the Rings"
even though its author never set out intentionally to introduce it
allegorically. This is, perhaps, a subtle distinction but one which Tolkien
believed was important.
Q: What values do you think "The Lord of the Rings" has to teach us?
Pearce: The values that emerge in "The Lord of the Rings" are the
values that emerge in the Gospels.
In the characterization of the Hobbits, the most reluctant and the most unlikely
of heroes, we see the exaltation of the humble. In the figure of Gandalf we see
the archetype of an Old Testament patriarch, his staff apparently having the
same power as that possessed by Moses.
In his apparent "death" and "resurrection" we see him emerge
as a Christ-like figure. His "resurrection" results in his
transfiguration.
Before he laid down his life for his friends he was Gandalf the Grey; afterward,
he becomes Gandalf the White. He is washed white in the purity of his
self-sacrifice and emerges more powerful in virtue than ever.
The character of Gollum is debased by his attachment to the Ring, the symbol of
the sin of pride. The possessor of the Ring is possessed by his possession and,
in consequence, is dispossessed of his soul. The wearer of the Ring always
becomes invisible to those that are good but at the same time becomes more
visible to the eyes of evil.
Thus we see that the sinner excommunicates himself from the society of the good
and enters Satan's world.
Ultimately, the bearing of the Ring by Frodo, and his heroic struggle to resist
the temptation to succumb to its evil powers, is akin to the Carrying of the
Cross, the supreme act of selflessness.
Throughout the whole of "The Lord of the Rings" the forces of evil are
seen as powerful but not all-powerful. There is always the sense that divine
providence is on the side of the Fellowship and that, ultimately, it will
prevail against all the odds. As Tolkien put it succinctly, "Above all
shadows rides the Sun."
Q: Many lament the depravity in the mass media today. What can we learn from
Tolkien about improving the quality of entertainment?
Pearce: The greatest lesson we learn from Tolkien is the objective nature of
truth. Evil is real; and so is good.
Goodness is the real presence of God; evil is his real absence. Tolkien has no
time for the amoral relativism that is so prevalent in much of what passes as
modern entertainment.
The fact that Tolkien's myth contains more truth than most of what passes as
realism serves as a damning indictment of the false vision being presented by
today's mass media.
ZE01111520
Other readings:
Who reads what:-
| Tony Blair Prime Minister of Great Britain, recommends |
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien "Ivanhoe" by Sir Walter Scott |
When he was a child the Prime Minister enjoyed "Kidnapped" by Robert Louis Stevenson. He also enjoyed "The Lord of the Rings" by J.R. Tolkien, a book of great imagination and surprise, which he has, in recent years, been able to read again with his children. "Ivanhoe" by Sir Walter Scott is another of his favourites. From wrw2000 |