In his book, An Experiment in Criticism, C. S. Lewis writes about the chief function of literature as an art form. Lewis writes:
[It is] an enlargement of our being. We want to be more than ourselves . . . we want to see with other eyes, to imagine with other imaginations, to feel with other hearts, as well as with our own . . . the first demand any work of art makes upon us is surrender. Look. Listen. Receive. What we receive is conveyed to us, in literature at least, partly by the object: its design, the adjustment of chronological and causal order, its images, contrasts and language (Lewis 104).
The fantasy genre allows readers to escape into an unknown world—surrendering the reader to its panic or beauty. Throughout Lewis’ critique of literature as an art form, a difficult question arises: How does high fantasy lead children to knowledge of self and the world around them? The answer lies in the importance of introducing fantasy to young readers early on in childhood. Through the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, we will recognize how character, setting, and imagery thrust young children into foreign environments, causing them to learn deeply rooted values, hidden themes, but—most importantly—connections within themselves.
In fantasy literature character is paramount. Through well-rounded characters, children grasp concepts early on of what it means to be heroic. In John Gardner’s novel Grendel, Gardner defines the motives of a “hero” through Unferth, a young knight about to be eaten by a monster. Unferth yells petulantly, “Go ahead, scoff. Except in the life of a hero, the whole world’s meaningless. The hero sees values beyond what’s possible. That’s the nature of a hero. It kills him, of course, ultimately. But it makes the whole struggle of humanity worthwhile” (Gardner 89). These heroic values can be applied to Frodo and Sam in J. R. R. Tolkien’s epic The Lord of the Rings. Frodo and Sam face an impossible task in their want to destroy the “one ring.” It is through their journey together that children reading the story will be introduced to the value of friendship, and the deeply rooted theme of unconditional love.
In Tolkien’s The Retun of the King, there are two moments at the end of the novel where the value of friendship and the theme of unconditional love are present. Yards away from Mt. Doom, Frodo falls to the ground in exhaustion wanting to give up. Sam heroically pulls him on his back replying, “Come, Mr. Frodo! I can’t carry it for you, but I can carry you and it as well. So up you get! Come on, Mr. Frodo dear! Sam will give you a ride. Just tell him where to go, and he’ll go” (Tolkien 919). A few pages later the ring is destroyed, and facing certain death by lava, Frodo turns to Sam and exclaims in exhaustion, “I am glad you are here with me. Here at the end of all things, Sam” (Tolkien 926). Upon reading both of these passages, the child will most likely “not” look up at her mother and cry “there is a theme of unconditional love here,” but rather interpret it through what author Gregory Bassham calls, “bracing moral power” (Bassham 248).
In his essay entitled, “Lewis and Tolkien on the Power of the Imagination,” Bassham brings attention to how fantasy can activate our moral imaginations at distinct levels in The Lord of the Rings. Bassham writes, “. . . Tolkien’s heroes inspire us as moral exemplars. When we read of the selfless, dogged persistence of Frodo, the indomitable courage of Sam . . . We are moved, energized and uplifted. We dream of better things and desire to grow” (Bassham 248). Here the child will have an internal response to Sam “helping” Frodo up off his feet, and “sharing” in his burden by carrying him on his back. These values noted in The Lord of the Rings are important for they will enhance the child’s ability to relate humanely with other children and society as a whole.
Setting is an equal important component in fantasy—for it can drive a story’s central conflict, enrich its overall meaning, but most importantly introduce a major theme to young children—the journey. J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, is a quest fantasy which begins as quest fantasies should—with a call to action. However, Tolkien uses the physical setting of Bilbo Baggins’ hole in the ground to introduce the reader to a creature of cleanliness and safety—a creature who “never had any adventures or did anything unexpected” (Tolkien 3).
In the very first paragraph Tolkien writes, “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort” (Tolkien 3). Tolkien is setting the child up by placing the physical setting indoors or in the interior. Conflict arises when the “unexpected party” arrives. Soon we witness Bilbo being thrust into the exterior; heading out into the unknown on a perilous journey.
In Chapter Eight entitled “Flies and Spiders,” Tolkien presents nature in an unkind light when the party must travel through Mirkwood alone—without Gandalf to guide and protect them. This is important, for Tolkien separates the company from the parental role of Gandalf. What Tolkien is suggesting to children is a simple truth: A time will come one day in your life when your parent’s won’t be there to guide and protect you—you will make your own decisions in what path to take in life.
The hostile environment of Mirkwood forest presents another theme—that of suffering. Tolkien writes, “It was not long before they grew to hate the forest as heartily as they had hated the tunnels of the goblins, and it seemed to offer even less hope of any ending” (Tolkien 129). In his essay “The Gospel of Middle-Earth according to J. R. R. Tolkien,” author William Dowie writes, “Suffering, as a necessity of life and an integral part of personal growth, is bound up with the task” (Dowie 275). The success of the company escaping out of Mirkwood through trial and tribulation is a testament to their splendor of courage through hardship. Through their example children can apply their own demonstrations of courage—big or small. It is through the company’s suffering that a freedom of will is affirmed.
Lastly, it is in Tolkiens use of imagery that children learn there is such a thing as good and evil in both the imaginative world of Tolkien—and their own. Tolkien communicates this connection through the ferocious battle scenes in The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien’s use of violence is acceptable according to Dowie, because it leads to “strong moral compassion[s] for the enemies” later in the novel (Dowie 277). Dowie writes:
The men of the West can go to battle with such fierce intensity against the orcs and the winged Nazgul because while they are set in their course of power and destruction, they are wholly evil, given over to their own self-love and to the service of their Dark Lord. Because the opposition is stark, violence is necessary and good. (276)
Children will make similar connections in their own reality. In history they will learn of World War II, making literary and historical connections. How millions of people fought an Axis power, similar to Sauron’s military and how great numbers of “ordinary” people fought to be free.
Dowie remarks that one thing readers of all ages pick up on is the theme of power in The Lord of the Rings. Dowie writes, “As far as power is concerned, it is in the realm of the Dark Lord. The way of the Fellowship is the way of renunciation of power. The story constantly sounds the theme that the great deed must be accomplished humbly” (Dowie 278). Proving this point we turn to The Fellowship of the Ring. A council is being held at the “last homely house” of Elrond, and the Fellowship is deciding the easiest path to take in destroying the one ring. Elrond suggests two options: “to send it over the Sea, or to destroy it” (Tolkien 259). The first option is more crass then “humble.” Here, young children will read Gandalf’s wise words, speaking “. . . for good or ill it belongs to Middle-earth; it is for us who still dwell here to deal with it” (Tolkien 259). Children gain a simple truth: that you can’t run away from your problems forever; there are times in life when you need to stand your ground and face your fears.
In the end, introducing high fantasy to children at a young age carries many benefits. In her book Powerful Magic: Learning From Children’s Responses to Fantasy Literature, Nina Mikkelsen writes, “When children are deeply engaged with fantasy literature, we see live circuits of response that reveal more about the books children read, their ways of reading and composing, and their own child worlds” (Mikkelsen 22). Through J. R. R. Tolkien children have a deep engagement in the text, for Tolkien goes to great lengths weaving a story filled with recognizable values, themes, which in turn allow children to make connections—and to start applying this self-learned knowledge. Through character, setting, and imagery, the success of high fantasy literature serves the ultimate purpose: it broadens our perspective over the ordinary world, and shows us what ordinary individuals can achieve.
Works Cited
Bassham, Gregory. Lewis and Tolkien on the Power of the Imagination. Ed. David Baggett, Gary R. Habermas, and Jerry L. Walls. Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2008.
Dowie, William. The Gospel of Middle-Earth according to J. R. R. Tolkien. Ed. Mary Salu and Robert T. Farrell. New York: Cornell University Press, 1979.
Gardner, John. Grendel. New York: Vintage, 1971.
Lewis, C. S. An Experiment in Criticism. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1992.
Mikkelsen, Nina. Powerful Magic: Learning From Children’s Responses to Fantasy Literature. New York: Teachers College Press, 2005.
Tolkien, J. R. R. The Hobbit: Or There and Back Again. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1997.
---, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1997.
---, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1997. Major work by said author. Book Three.
Works Consulted
Burke, Eileen M. Literature For The Young Child. 2nd ed. Boston: Simon & Schustur, 1990.
Glover, Donald E. C. S. Lewis: The Art of Enchantment. Ohio: Ohio University Press, 1981.
No comments:
Post a Comment