What is LotR *really* about?

a.bit.of.fry.and.laurie.TakeThisOut@gmail.com wrote:

>
>
> Seemingly an easy question to answer: "it's about Frodo's quest to
> destroy the One Ring and, as a backdrop, about the war in Middle-
> earth".
> But it's not that simple, is it. So what *is* it about?

Good vs Evil
Predestination vs Free Will
Friendship
Music
Racism
Duty
Honor
Ethics
Sacrifice (both noble and otherwise)
Sociology
Geography
History
Metallurgy (perhaps should be higher on the list)
--
derek
 >> Stay informed about: What is LotR *really* about? 

On Thu, 12 Jul 2007 07:44:57 -0400, <a.bit.of.fry.and.laurie RemoveThis @gmail.com>
wrote:

>
>
> Seemingly an easy question to answer: "it's about Frodo's quest to
> destroy the One Ring and, as a backdrop, about the war in Middle-
> earth".
> But it's not that simple, is it. So what *is* it about?
>

Death and the desire for Deathlessness.

--
"There's got to be a better way than fighting," said Mr. Saveloy.
"Yep. Lots of 'em," replied Cohen. "Only none of 'em work."
 >> Stay informed about: What is LotR *really* about? 

William Cloud Hicklin wrote:

> On Thu, 12 Jul 2007 07:44:57 -0400, <a.bit.of.fry.and.laurie.TakeThisOut@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> Seemingly an easy question to answer: "it's about Frodo's quest to
>> destroy the One Ring and, as a backdrop, about the war in Middle-
>> earth".
>> But it's not that simple, is it. So what *is* it about?
>>
>
> Death and the desire for Deathlessness.

Damn. Now I've got to update my list...
--
derek
 >> Stay informed about: What is LotR *really* about? 

Derek Broughton <news DeleteThis @pointerstop.ca> wrote:
> a.bit.of.fry.and.laurie DeleteThis @gmail.com wrote:

>> Seemingly an easy question to answer: "it's about Frodo's quest to
>> destroy the One Ring and, as a backdrop, about the war in Middle-
>> earth".
>> But it's not that simple, is it. So what *is* it about?

> Good vs Evil
> Predestination vs Free Will
> Friendship
> Music
> Racism
> Duty
> Honor
> Ethics
> Sacrifice (both noble and otherwise)
> Sociology
> Geography
> History
> Metallurgy (perhaps should be higher on the list)

and

Language
Philology
Religion
Art and the desire to Create (or Subcreate)
Power, Corruption and Despair
Death and Immortality
"a really long story that would hold the attention of readers, amuse
them, delight them, and at times maybe excite them or deeply move them."

and probably many other things

- Dirk
 >> Stay informed about: What is LotR *really* about? 

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 09:55:36 -0300 from Derek Broughton
<news RemoveThis @pointerstop.ca>:
> a.bit.of.fry.and.laurie RemoveThis @gmail.com wrote:
> > Seemingly an easy question to answer: "it's about Frodo's quest
> > to destroy the One Ring and, as a backdrop, about the war in
> > Middle- earth". But it's not that simple, is it. So what *is* it
> > about?
>
> Good vs Evil
> Predestination vs Free Will
> Friendship
> Music
> Racism
> Duty
> Honor
> Ethics
> Sacrifice (both noble and otherwise)
> Sociology
> Geography
> History
> Metallurgy (perhaps should be higher on the list)

It is about those things (not metallurgy at all, IMHO), but do not
forget it is *also* about the story: a group of hobbits who set out
to go to the land of Mordor and destroy the Enemy's Ring.

From Tolkien's own words: "The Lord of the Rings has been read by
many people since it finally appeared in print; and I should like to
say something here with reference to the many opinions or guesses
that I have received or have read concerning the motives and meaning
of the tale. The prime motive was the desire of a tale-teller to try
his hand at a really long story that would hold the attention of
readers, amuse them, delight them, and at times maybe excite them or
deeply move them."

I think it's pretty clear that if someone read the book, never looked
beyond the story, and said "Gosh, Mr Tolkien! That was a fantastic
story. I cried when ____ and I laughed when ___." -- if someone said
that, he would feel he had succeeded with that particular reader.

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
Tolkien FAQs: http://Tolkien.slimy.com (Steuard Jensen's site)
Tolkien letters FAQ:
http://mysite.verizon.net/aznirb/mtr/lettersfaq.html
FAQ of the Rings: http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ringfaq.htm
Encyclopedia of Arda: http://www.glyphweb.com/arda/default.htm
more FAQs: http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/faqget.htm
 >> Stay informed about: What is LotR *really* about? 

In message <news:eothm4-8cn.ln1@pointerstop.ca>
Derek Broughton <news RemoveThis @pointerstop.ca> spoke these staves:
>

<snip>

> Damn. Now I've got to update my list...

You might want to add pity, mercy and forgiveness (vs. the lack of
same). A good case could also be made for it being about the desire for
power and ways to abstain from power. Or the evil of fighting evil with
evil's own means.

But I should say, if asked, the tale is not really about
Power and Dominion: that only sets the wheels going; it is
about Death and the desire for deathlessness. Which is
hardly more than to say it is a tale written by a Man!
[/Letters/, #203 to Herbert Schiro1, November 1957]

--
Troels Forchhammer
Valid e-mail is <troelsfo(a)gmail.com>
Please put [AFT], [RABT] or 'Tolkien' in subject.

A good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows
how to read.
- /Guards! Guards!/ (Terry Pratchett)
 >> Stay informed about: What is LotR *really* about? 

On Jul 12, 7:56 pm, Derek Broughton <n... DeleteThis @pointerstop.ca> wrote:
> Stan Brown wrote:
> > Thu, 12 Jul 2007 09:55:36 -0300 from Derek Broughton
> > <n... DeleteThis @pointerstop.ca>:
> >> a.bit.of.fry.and.lau... DeleteThis @gmail.com wrote:
> >> > Seemingly an easy question to answer: "it's about Frodo's quest
> >> > to destroy the One Ring and, as a backdrop, about the war in
> >> > Middle- earth". But it's not that simple, is it. So what *is* it
> >> > about?
>
> ...
>
> >> Metallurgy (perhaps should be higher on the list)
>
> > It is about those things (not metallurgy at all, IMHO),
>
> C'mon! Forging of rings, forgery of rings, smelters in Orodruin, smelters
> in Ancalagon the Black (OK - he doesn't actually enter the story of LOTR),
> dwarven mines and smelting anything that even looks like a metal. Heavy
> Metal, man!

You have a point, but the three dominant themes of LOTR are:

Capitalism
Plate tectonics
Eels
 >> Stay informed about: What is LotR *really* about? 

Dirk Thierbach wrote:

> Derek Broughton <news.TakeThisOut@pointerstop.ca> wrote:
>> a.bit.of.fry.and.laurie.TakeThisOut@gmail.com wrote:
>
>>> Seemingly an easy question to answer: "it's about Frodo's quest to
>>> destroy the One Ring and, as a backdrop, about the war in Middle-
>>> earth".
>>> But it's not that simple, is it. So what *is* it about?
>
>> Good vs Evil
>> Predestination vs Free Will
>> Friendship
>> Music
>> Racism
>> Duty
>> Honor
>> Ethics
>> Sacrifice (both noble and otherwise)
>> Sociology
>> Geography
>> History
>> Metallurgy (perhaps should be higher on the list)
>
> and
>
> Language
> Philology

That was the one I was trying to remember!

> Religion

See Music
>
> and probably many other things
>
Many!
--
derek
 >> Stay informed about: What is LotR *really* about? 

Stan Brown wrote:

> Thu, 12 Jul 2007 09:55:36 -0300 from Derek Broughton
> <news.RemoveThis@pointerstop.ca>:
>> a.bit.of.fry.and.laurie.RemoveThis@gmail.com wrote:
>> > Seemingly an easy question to answer: "it's about Frodo's quest
>> > to destroy the One Ring and, as a backdrop, about the war in
>> > Middle- earth". But it's not that simple, is it. So what *is* it
>> > about?

....
>> Metallurgy (perhaps should be higher on the list)
>
> It is about those things (not metallurgy at all, IMHO),

C'mon! Forging of rings, forgery of rings, smelters in Orodruin, smelters
in Ancalagon the Black (OK - he doesn't actually enter the story of LOTR),
dwarven mines and smelting anything that even looks like a metal. Heavy
Metal, man!
--
derek
 >> Stay informed about: What is LotR *really* about? 

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 20:56:00 -0300 from Derek Broughton
<news RemoveThis @pointerstop.ca>:
> Stan Brown wrote:

> > It is about those things (not metallurgy at all, IMHO),
>
> C'mon! Forging of rings, forgery of rings, smelters in Orodruin,
> smelters in Ancalagon the Black (OK - he doesn't actually enter the
> story of LOTR), dwarven mines and smelting anything that even looks
> like a metal. Heavy Metal, man!

None of those are metallurgy, any more than the mention of elanor and
mellyrn is botany.

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
Tolkien FAQs: http://Tolkien.slimy.com (Steuard Jensen's site)
Tolkien letters FAQ:
http://mysite.verizon.net/aznirb/mtr/lettersfaq.html
FAQ of the Rings: http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ringfaq.htm
Encyclopedia of Arda: http://www.glyphweb.com/arda/default.htm
more FAQs: http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/faqget.htm
 >> Stay informed about: What is LotR *really* about? 

pseudonimofaqhater RemoveThis @yahoo.com.br wrote in
news:1184290062.962425.191420@57g2000hsv.googlegroups.com:

> You have a point, but the three dominant themes of LOTR are:
>
> Capitalism
> Plate tectonics
> Eels
>
>

Actually the three main themes are:

Bookends
Pumice
West Germany.


-==Kensu==-
This lime's bleeding diabolical.
 >> Stay informed about: What is LotR *really* about? 

"William Cloud Hicklin" <icelofangeln.TakeThisOut@mindspring.com> wrote in
news:op.tvcwtuu4rwd1fl@emachine:

>
> Death and the desire for Deathlessness.
>

But Sauron was already immortal before he forged the ring...
And he was still alive at the end (if you can call his shadowy existence at
the end "life".)


-==Kensu==-
 >> Stay informed about: What is LotR *really* about? 

13 Jul 2007 02:16:27 GMT from Chris Schumacher <kensu__ DeleteThis @hotmail.com>:
> "William Cloud Hicklin" <icelofangeln DeleteThis @mindspring.com> wrote in
> news:op.tvcwtuu4rwd1fl@emachine:
>
> >
> > Death and the desire for Deathlessness.
> >
>
> But Sauron was already immortal before he forged the ring...
> And he was still alive at the end (if you can call his shadowy existence at
> the end "life".)

It's desire OF MEN for deathlessness.

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
Tolkien FAQs: http://Tolkien.slimy.com (Steuard Jensen's site)
Tolkien letters FAQ:
http://mysite.verizon.net/aznirb/mtr/lettersfaq.html
FAQ of the Rings: http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ringfaq.htm
Encyclopedia of Arda: http://www.glyphweb.com/arda/default.htm
more FAQs: http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/faqget.htm
 >> Stay informed about: What is LotR *really* about?