"Cliff Notes - the hobbit & the lord of rings" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tolkien J.R.R)

8. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MAN AND NATURE

Nature plays an important role in Tolkien's works. Through characters like Tom Bombadil and the Ents, Tolkien seems to be saying that nature is an entity separate from ourselves, something to be respected, not dominated. His good characters have a great respect and love for nature, while the evil ones destroy nature. Furthermore, those who live close to nature, such as the hobbits and the elves of Lorien, seem to draw great power for good from it.

9. EVILS OF TECHNOLOGY

This is related to the previous theme, for Tolkien saw technology as something that destroys nature. Middle-earth is for the most part a pretechnological world. The only technology that exists is introduced by the forces of evil and is used in destructive ways. To Tolkien, technology represents the evils of the modern world: ugliness, depersonalization, and the separation of man from nature.

^^^^^^^^^^THE HOBBIT & THE LORD OF THE RINGS: STYLE

Tolkien uses a variety of styles in his works. The Hobbit is mostly written in relatively simple, friendly language: "With that the hobbit turned and scuttled inside his round green door, and shut it as quickly as he dared, not to seem rude." Tolkien's use of this kind of style makes sense when you realize that the book was originally published as a children's book.

The Lord of the Rings, which had been begun as a sequel to The Hobbit, starts out in similar style. But Tolkien soon realized that it would be a book of much wider scope than The Hobbit, and, accordingly, not far into the story he introduces a more serious tone. Sometimes he uses simple, conversational speech: "When Frodo came to himself he was still clutching the Ring desperately." At other times he uses a very formal style, reminiscent of the language of both ancient epics and the Bible: "And there came Gandalf on foot and with him one cloaked in grey; and they met before the doors of the Houses of Healing."

You will find many songs or poems scattered throughout Tolkien's books. You may be tempted to skip over these songs, but take a look at them anyway. They serve important purposes. They help characterize the people singing them. They also add humor or set the mood in some scenes. In addition, Tolkien's characters at times use songs in the ancient tradition of telling tales through song, as the minstrels of medieval Europe did. Keep in mind that Tolkien did not try to write polished poetry. Instead, he tried to make his songs sound like something that his characters would make up themselves.

As a scholar of language, Tolkien has a good ear for the ways different people talk. His characters and their different races have distinctive styles of speech that reveal a lot about their personalities. Look at this exchange, for example, between Bilbo and one of the dwarves in The Hobbit:

"Good-bye and good luck, wherever you fare!" said Balin at last. "If ever you visit us again, when our halls are made fair once more, then the feast shall indeed be splendid!"

"If ever you are passing my way," said Bilbo, "don't wait to knock! Tea is at four, but any of you are welcome at any time!"

As you can see, the main characteristic of Tolkien's style is to use language in a variety of ways. He even invented languages for his different races, such as the elves and the dwarves. You may find it interesting to choose a scene that you especially like and read it closely, noting the various ways that Tolkien uses words.

Tolkien also used other techniques of style, such as personification, metaphor, and imagery. These are discussed at various points in The Story section of this guide.

^^^^^^^^^^THE HOBBIT & THE LORD OF THE RINGS: POINT OF VIEW

Tolkien's works are written in the third person and sound as though they are stories being told aloud. In The Hobbit, the narrator speaks as if he's telling a story to children, often interrupting himself to make little asides. He also creates a very clear moral framework for the story, telling you from the onset whether a character is good or bad or somewhere in between. This is appropriate for children, who usually want to be able to easily differentiate good and evil characters. In The Lord of the Rings, which is intended for adults, Tolkien no longer does this. Instead he remains for the most part outside the story, leaving it up to the characters to judge each other.

The narrator usually follows the story through the eyes of one of the hobbits. This serves two purposes. First, the hobbit is generally considered to be a representative of the modern world, a comfortably familiar character you can identify with in a book filled with such magical images as wizards and elves. Second, following the story from the hobbits' point of view makes the hobbits the heroes of the book, placing an emphasis on their traits and their way of looking at the world. In this way, Tolkien shows the importance of ordinary people and reveals what it is that he believes makes them so special.

While the narrator of these books generally follows the story from the point of view of a character, he's not limited by that character's knowledge. He's able to step out of the story and offer information and insights that the characters are not aware of. In this way he's able to show you the total picture, which can reveal a clear pattern and purpose behind seemingly random events, while at the same time he shows how these events appear to the individuals involved.

^^^^^^^^^^THE HOBBIT & THE LORD OF THE RINGS: FORM AND STRUCTURE

The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are similar in structure. Both are organized around the idea of a journey into the unknown and back again, making the stories circular in form. Each journey can be roughly divided into four parts: a period of initiation, the fulfillment of a quest, a battle or battles, and the return home.

In the first part, the inexperienced hero of the story sets out on a journey with a group of companions. The story progresses from one safe haven to another, with dangerous episodes in between. In The Hobbit, for example, Bilbo and the dwarves set out from Bilbo's comfortable home into the Wilds. After facing the trolls, they arrive in Rivendell, where they replenish their supplies. They are attacked by goblins while crossing the Misty Mountains, and at last reach the safety of Beorn's home. From there they pass through the dangers of Mirkwood and arrive in Lake-town. Frodo and his friends have a similar series of adventures in The Fellowship of the Ring, the first part of The Lord of the Rings.

These adventures serve as a period of initiation: through them, Bilbo and Frodo are prepared for the tasks that still await them. These entertaining episodes also give Tolkien an opportunity to present characters and themes.

The safe havens serve a similar function, introducing themes and characters. In contrast to the action of the other scenes, they provide a "tableaux," a graphic representation of a place or culture. This is especially true of The Lord of the Rings, with its pictures of Rivendell, Lorien, and Fangorn Forest, just to name a few. These places add to the sense of the history and cultures of Middle-earth and place the plot within the framework of this history. Many people believe that this balance between the fast-paced action of the here and now and the slow, grand sweep of history is part of what makes Tolkien's books stand out as something more than just adventure stories.

The second part of each story concerns the fulfillment of the quest, where the hero faces his moment of truth. (Bilbo's part in the quest is to help recover the treasure; Frodo's quest is to destroy the Ring.) Each must confront his fears and conquer them alone. It is at this point that the character appears as a truly heroic figure.

The third part of the story concerns a war between the forces of good and evil. (In The Lord of the Rings, you will notice, the story of the quest and the story of the war are intertwined.) The good side seems hopelessly outclassed, but somehow manages to emerge victorious at the last minute. Tolkien has been building to this moment from the beginning of the story. Each preceding episode also seemed bound for disaster. Each time, the danger has become more grim, and the hope of rescue has steadily decreased, until the hero has only himself to rely on. As the danger increases, so does the level of excitement until yet another daring escape is managed.

In The Hobbit the danger and the excitement reach a peak when the forces of good seem about to be overcome by the forces of evil. In The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien builds to two simultaneous peaks. One occurs at the point when Sauron's forces sweep down on the small army led by Aragorn at the gates of Mordor. The other occurs inside Mordor, as Frodo struggles with Gollum on the edge of the Crack of Doom, where the Ring is to be destroyed. Both the war and the quest reach their resolution in the same instant, when the Ring is destroyed and with it, Sauron's power.