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China Mieville on Tolkien and Epic/High Fantasy
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<blockquote data-quote="Celtavian" data-source="post: 1216834" data-attributes="member: 5834"><p>First and foremost, I would like to state that I don't think messages and meanings cannot be drawn from <em>Lord of the Rings</em>. I find the work very meaningful and I can see all kinds of unintended messages.</p><p></p><p>I do not believe Tolkien sat down with the intent of sending a message. Tolkien seemed to enjoy writing tales. It was a break from the world for him. He had been doing it for years privately without really thinking that he was going to publish the work. I'm sure you read how <em>The Hobbit</em> came to be when Tolkien wrote down one sentence that came to mind while he was correcting papers. He had a wandering imagination.</p><p></p><p>A writer can create a story without intending any message whatsoever for the sheer joy of storytelling. I think Tolkien was that type of writer. He loved to tell tales, it was a passion for him. He was good at it, and inevitably people found alot of meaning in his work and saw messages whether or not he intended them.</p><p></p><p>I don't know how to state it more clearly. It seems as though people think I am saying "Because Tolkien didn't intend any message or meaning, then there is no message or meaning." When what I am trying to to say is "Because Tolkien didn't intend any message or meaning, he cannot be blamed for the way others interpret the work."</p><p></p><p>Since this discussion was sparked by China Mieville's comments concerning Tolkien's work. I felt it important to note that attributing belief's to Tolkien such as glorifying war or supporting a class system and requiring others to follow certain fantasy standards like incorporating elves and dwarves into their story baseless. He was a taleteller first, and any messages sent were of secondary importance and not meant to be taken as a literal statement of his stance on a variety of complex moral issues.</p><p></p><p>I hope this better denotes my position on this debate.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Celtavian, post: 1216834, member: 5834"] First and foremost, I would like to state that I don't think messages and meanings cannot be drawn from [i]Lord of the Rings[/i]. I find the work very meaningful and I can see all kinds of unintended messages. I do not believe Tolkien sat down with the intent of sending a message. Tolkien seemed to enjoy writing tales. It was a break from the world for him. He had been doing it for years privately without really thinking that he was going to publish the work. I'm sure you read how [i]The Hobbit[/i] came to be when Tolkien wrote down one sentence that came to mind while he was correcting papers. He had a wandering imagination. A writer can create a story without intending any message whatsoever for the sheer joy of storytelling. I think Tolkien was that type of writer. He loved to tell tales, it was a passion for him. He was good at it, and inevitably people found alot of meaning in his work and saw messages whether or not he intended them. I don't know how to state it more clearly. It seems as though people think I am saying "Because Tolkien didn't intend any message or meaning, then there is no message or meaning." When what I am trying to to say is "Because Tolkien didn't intend any message or meaning, he cannot be blamed for the way others interpret the work." Since this discussion was sparked by China Mieville's comments concerning Tolkien's work. I felt it important to note that attributing belief's to Tolkien such as glorifying war or supporting a class system and requiring others to follow certain fantasy standards like incorporating elves and dwarves into their story baseless. He was a taleteller first, and any messages sent were of secondary importance and not meant to be taken as a literal statement of his stance on a variety of complex moral issues. I hope this better denotes my position on this debate. [/QUOTE]
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