Nala Cyriac
Mr. Cohen
ENL1W
September 15th
Target Audience: Anyone who is going to read his books and wants to learn a bit about him
J.R.R. Tolkien: A Brilliant Example of Influence in Writing
Introduction
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien has always had a flair for writing and linguistics as a whole but his personal experiences are what sets him apart from other authors; leading him to produce such masterful work such as The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. J.R.R. Tolkien produced many works in his lifetime, including: The Hobbit (1937), The Fellowship of the Ring (1954), The Two Towers (1954), Return of the King (1955), and The Silmarillion (1977, published after his death). He also wrote many other short stories, poetry, and other books too but these works are what he is most famous for, and where we see the most influence from his life.
Early Life
Tolkien was born on January 3rd, 1892 in Bloemfontein, South Africa. Tolkien admits that he did not remember much about his time there; as according to The Tolkien Society: “His memories of Africa were slight but vivid, including a scary encounter with a large hairy spider, and influenced his later writing to some extent.” (Doughan, J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biographical Sketch) This influence is seen when the thread of spiders would show up in his book, The Hobbit, when Bilbo and the dwarves enter Mirkwood and are attacked by these large spiders). On February 15th, 1896, his father, Arthur Reuel Tolkien passed away due to severe haemorrhage following rheumatic fever. After this tragic occurrence, his family moved to England where they lived on the genteel side of poverty. Unfortunately, on November 14th, 1904, Mabel Tolkien, Tolkien’s mother, passed away due to complications with diabetes; proven to be fatal at the time. This left Ronald to bounce between homes before landing in the care of Father Francis, becoming his ward. Around this time, his ability and talent for writing was already becoming apparent. According to The Tolkien Society:
Young Ronald’s developing linguistic imagination was engaged by the sight of coal trucks going to and from South Wales bearing destinations like” Nantyglo”,” Penrhiwceiber” and “Senghenydd.” (Doughan, J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biographical Sketch)
Even from a young age, Tolkien was proving that he had not only a talent for the study of linguistics, but also a passion for it. This only goes to show the creativity that was already coming to the surface at such an early age. It is notable that the author uses the term “linguistic imagination” because, when reading any of Tolkien’s work, it is clear to see that he puts the utmost importance on details and using specific wording to emphasise the point. This source is reliable because this article was published by The Tolkien Society, a registered charity founded by Vera Chapman devoted to the study and promotion of J.R.R. Tolkien. This specific article was written by David Doughan; a prolific writer and member of the society.
Sometime while in the care of Father Francis, he met Edith Mary Bratt (later the inspiration for the character “Lúthien”) and reportedly fell in love instantly, their relationship developing into more than just friendship. When Father Francis had learned of this however, he forbade Tolkien from seeing her until he turned twenty one; as at the time, he was 16 and she was 19. After enlisting in the military cut their relationship short in 1915, almost as an act of fate, he developed “trench fever” forcing him to return to England. Once he did, he married her the following year, on March 22nd, 1916 in the Catholic Church of St Mary Immaculate on West Street in Warwick. She died on November 29th, 1971 at the age of 82 after having four of his children; John Francis (1917-2003), Michael Hilary (1920-1984), Christopher John (1924-2020), and Priscilla Anne (1929-2022).
Tolkien’s ability for linguistic imagination is noteworthy as it is a key component that helps to make his stories uniquely memorable to many readers. According to Writing Cooperative: “His attention to detail is what made him one of the most popular fantasy writers in the world.” (Grande, J.R.R. Tolkien’s Top 8 Rules for Success in Writing) Then later, when the story was adapted into a film version, a new generation and fanbase was intrigued and developed a love for the films, leading many to read the books or vice versa.
Time at War
Like many other able-bodied young men, he enlisted in the military; however, he showed no eagerness to enlist after the outburst of the war in 1914; instead opting to complete his education at Oxford University. When he enlisted, that same year, he was given the role of second lieutenant in the Lancashire Fusiliers. Unfortunately, only a short time after, he developed an illness that forced him back to England. According to the National Archives: Officer Service Records: JRR Tolkien:
After four months in the trenches - a period that strongly influenced the world that he later created in books such as The Hobbit (1937) and The Lord of Rings (1954-55) - Tolkien fell victim to the typhus-like condition known as 'trench fever' and returned to England in November. Unable to fully shake off its debilitating effects, he spent the rest of war either in hospital or in home service camps, where he did sufficiently well to earn promotion to the rank of lieutenant. (Officer’s Service Record: J.R.R. Tolkien)
It is evident that Tolkien’s time at war influenced his writing and likely many details depicted in the battles and wars shown in both Lord of the Rings, and The Hobbit. As he said himself, “Wars are not favourable to delicate pleasures.” (Tolkien, "A Secret Vice" lecture, 1931) This source is reliable because it was published through a national website, The National Archives, and contains official records of Tolkien’s time in the war bot to mention that it contains photos that document his army commision application, service record and letter from when he developed trench fever.
Why Fantasy
J.R.R. Tolkien was a very creative man with a very interesting past, his time at war, imagination, and beliefs are all aspects of his life that may have sparked the idea of creating a fantasy novel. Reportedly:
Stirred by reaction against his war experiences, he had already begun to put his stories into shape, […] This ordering of his imagination developed into the Book of Lost Tales (not published in his lifetime), in which most of the major stories of the Silmarillion appear in their first form: tales of the Elves and the “Gnomes”, (i. e. Deep Elves, the later Noldor), with their languages Qenya and Goldogrin. (Doughan, J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biographical Sketch)
When writing any sort of fight scene; such as the ones in Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit, it is important that the attention to detail is immaculate; otherwise it feels unrealistic and hard for the reader to fully engage. The other, arguably more important reason that he may have chosen to write fantasy would be his beliefs. According to Yosef Lindell, author of the article The J. R. R. Tolkien Story That Makes the Case for Fantasy Fiction:
The author believed that a well-realized fantasy world is just as important as mundane existence—if not more so. Tolkien also thought the genre should be escapist and offer renewal by emphasizing timeless themes such as nature and good and evil, as “Leaf by Niggle” demonstrates. (Lindell, The J. R. R. Tolkien Story That Makes the Case for Fantasy Fiction)
This source is reliable because it contains quotations that come directly from the source himself, J.R.R. Tolkien, it is also written by a lawyer/journalist. If Tolkien truly believed that “a well-realized fantasy world is just as important as mundane existence” then why would he oppose his own beliefs by writing realistically? It is clear that he wouldn’t, making it clear why he would choose fantasy.
Conclusion
In conclusion, J.R.R. Tolkien was a smart man with an interesting past, his fantastical stories reflect this uniqueness and eccentricity that came with his fascinating life. His personal experiences and beliefs influenced his writing in many different ways; his writing style, characters, story, setting, and his genre of storytelling. Tolkien was always able to produce stories that appealed to many different audiences because of the ways that he wrote; an extension of his personal lives through the influence that his life had on his work. Appealing to all audiences is something that is very difficult, even for experienced authors to do; however, Tolkien’s published work has gone on to gain recognition for its excellence people. His stories can be read by anyone and that is truly something that is incredibly unique to him and a select few others. Thanks to his personal influence, readers all over the world are able to escape reality and read a great piece of fantasy fiction that came from the brilliance of Tolkien and his life.
Works Cited
“Exhibitions & Learning online | First World War | People.” The National Archives | Exhibitions & Learning online | First World War | People, https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pathways/firstworldwar/people/tolkien.htm. Accessed 14 September 2023.
“Exhibitions & Learning online | First World War | People.” The National Archives | Exhibitions & Learning online | First World War | People, https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pathways/firstworldwar/people/tolkien.htm. Accessed 14 September 2023.
“J.R.R. Tolkien's Top 8 Rules for Success in Writing.” The Writing Cooperative, 14 February 2021, https://writingcooperative.com/j-r-r-tolkiens-top-8-rules-for-success-in-writing-22c800f7d2e8. Accessed 16 September 2023.
Doughan, David et al. “Biography – The Tolkien Society.” The Tolkien Society, https://www.tolkiensociety.org/author/biography/. Accessed 14 September 2023.
““Wars are not favourable to…” J. R. R. Tolkien Quote.” QuotesCosmos, 31 July 2021,
https://www.quotescosmos.com/quotes/J.-R.-R.-Tolkien-quote-3.html. Accessed 18 September 2023.