[CLUE-Talk] Tolkien and allegory

[Joe 'Zonker' Brockmeier]

On Sat, 10 Jan 2004 16:56:25 -0700
"Timothy C. Klein" <teece at silverklein.net> wrote:

> Try reading 'The Wasteland' by Eliot without
> those tools -- it will be neither entertaining nor enlightening.  (Of
> course I would argue that is neither of those things *with* said tools,
> but that is neither here nor there).

Amen! 

> As for Tolkien, he has denied that he wrote it as an allegory.  Fine.
> But if one is going to try to understand why it was/is immensely popular,
> then allegorical argument are certainly going to come into play.  People
> don't intrinsically care about Middle Earth.  Using arguments based on
> symbol, allegory, etc. to justify its popularity is fine -- indeed,
> probably absolutely required.

Exactly -- people find something in Tolkien's work that goes beyond the
plot and elements of the story, there's something at play that people
find satisfying beyond the surface elements. 

Best,
Zonker
--
"Always acknowledge a fault. This will throw those in authority off 
their guard and give you an opportunity to commit more." - Mark Twain