Essays on Bilbo

In “Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings: A Review,” C.S. Lewis famously said: “The value of myth is that it takes all the things you know and restores to them the rich significance which has been hidden by the veil of familiarity” (Lewis). The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and The Fellowship of the Ring, are two examples of fantasy novels that support this statement. The former tells the story of some children who are evacuated to the countryside, only to discover the land of Narnia in a wardrobe. The book evokes themes such as good vs. ...

After more than two hundred years of the first publication, the heroic poem about the adventures of Beowulf is still of high interest to the public. Not only do the scholars investigate Beowulf as an example of Old English literature, but a wider audience also finds this epic poem an important representation of Scandinavian culture. What attracts them is the fact that Beowulf is the only complete surviving text dates from the 8th and the early 11th century. The poem is indeed written in Old English language, but the stories take place in Denmark and Sweden. England is not ...

All great stories have to start somewhere. They gain special shape through different layers of author’s experience. However, they could only become exquisite when they continue living outside of author’s mind. There is no need to prove that the stories depicted in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings received their special lives. In fact, they belong to the popular culture phenomenon that is addressed to many (Hall 1). Not only do they continue living after the death of J.R.R. Tolkien, but they also remain an inspiration for the myriads of other minds in various fields. ...