Post by Andorinha on Jan 18, 2009 10:08:55 GMT -6
Week Six – Unnumbered Tears
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From: megn1
Sent: 5/18/2002 7:12 PM
Many people have speculated on the affects of Tolkien’s war service on his writings. Tolkien didn’t write allegory, so it would be wrong to try to find direct parallels between the battles he wrote and the battles he fought. But surely his experience of war shaped him, and therefore his stories.
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We know that Tolkien fought in World War I, and that he was present at one of the bloodiest battles of that war – the Battle of the Somme. Most of his closest friends were dead by the time the war was over.
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Knowing that piece of his history, do you think his experience shaped the way he has told the story of the Battle of Unnumbered Tears? Or any of the other battles? What signs of influence do you see?
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Message 2 of 2 in Discussion
From: rivers
Sent: 5/20/2002 2:07 AM
Megn I think it is impossible to write anything without using your experiences in some way even if you are writing contrary to your experiences. I read that the area before Mt. Doom with the slag and craters and basically desolately destroyed landscape is a description of what the land resembled after Somme. I think that Tolkien like myself hated the impersonality of a bullet. In every war Tolkien describes it is a test of manhood/womanhood with the skill you have honed with a weapon pitted against one or several others. It has been a long standing joke between me and my nephew that if we lived in Medievil times or Middle Earth our daily schedule would resemble this: Drink beer, eat breakfast, Practice with sword, eat lunch, practice with sword, eat dinner, practice with sword, sleep with damsel and sword under pillow. Weekends or special occasions gather up a few friends and find someone to fight.lol
Bullets steal the beauty of combat because anyone can use a gun sort of like Indiana Jones when the guy with the two swords is waving them around and Indy shoots him which I think is funny because Indiana is one of my favorites it still is a prime example of the loss of the majesty ad courage inherit in mortal combat.
_________________________________________
Reply
Message 1 of 2 in Discussion
From: megn1
Sent: 5/18/2002 7:12 PM
Many people have speculated on the affects of Tolkien’s war service on his writings. Tolkien didn’t write allegory, so it would be wrong to try to find direct parallels between the battles he wrote and the battles he fought. But surely his experience of war shaped him, and therefore his stories.
<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
We know that Tolkien fought in World War I, and that he was present at one of the bloodiest battles of that war – the Battle of the Somme. Most of his closest friends were dead by the time the war was over.
<o:p></o:p>
Knowing that piece of his history, do you think his experience shaped the way he has told the story of the Battle of Unnumbered Tears? Or any of the other battles? What signs of influence do you see?
________________________________________
Reply
Message 2 of 2 in Discussion
From: rivers
Sent: 5/20/2002 2:07 AM
Megn I think it is impossible to write anything without using your experiences in some way even if you are writing contrary to your experiences. I read that the area before Mt. Doom with the slag and craters and basically desolately destroyed landscape is a description of what the land resembled after Somme. I think that Tolkien like myself hated the impersonality of a bullet. In every war Tolkien describes it is a test of manhood/womanhood with the skill you have honed with a weapon pitted against one or several others. It has been a long standing joke between me and my nephew that if we lived in Medievil times or Middle Earth our daily schedule would resemble this: Drink beer, eat breakfast, Practice with sword, eat lunch, practice with sword, eat dinner, practice with sword, sleep with damsel and sword under pillow. Weekends or special occasions gather up a few friends and find someone to fight.lol
Bullets steal the beauty of combat because anyone can use a gun sort of like Indiana Jones when the guy with the two swords is waving them around and Indy shoots him which I think is funny because Indiana is one of my favorites it still is a prime example of the loss of the majesty ad courage inherit in mortal combat.