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Tolkien actually fought in the World War and was trying to make a anti-war and anti-industrialization message. For example he portrays Melkor (the ultimate evi

Tolkien actually fought in the World War and was trying to make a anti-war and anti-industrialization message. For example he portrays Melkor (the ultimate evil in his lore) as the Maia (think Catholic saint) responsible for Industrialization, where one of his greatest achievements was building a fortress that was a factory that had chimneys that spewed coal smoke... Even artisan characters were often portrayed negatively (Sauron, that made the Rings of Power, or the guy that made the Silmarils and then people commited genocide and other atrocities because of them). One of the most famous obviously war-inspired scene Tolkien wrote, were the dead marches, that are absolutely creepy and repulsive, and they were basically a description of the terrain during the Battle of the Somme, where he was physically present in the trenches fighting.

logisticseh 4y ago
- astrange 4y ago
  LOTR was like the most popular book in the world behind the Bible. Of course everyone who's general-aged knows about it. Naming a government contractor Palantir is a joke on whoever did it of course, since the palantirs destroyed everyone who tried to use them.
  - logisticseh 4y ago
    It wasn't really primarily about the generals. It was mostly about the captains (who are YOUNG) and soliders. It was the movies, not the books, that made LOTR a powerful tool for DoD. They didn't just know about it. It was an organizing piece of ideology and shared identity. Any analogy or metaphor that made reference was more likely to be funded. > Naming a government contractor Palantir is a joke on whoever did it of course, since the palantirs destroyed everyone who tried to use them. Sometimes trolls are all in on the same joke.
- P5fRxh5kUvp2th 4y ago
  Why does everything good have to become a fucking turf war? Seriously. I grew up absolutely loving the hobbit. Imagine my shock when in 9th grade I came across this huge red book in the school library that I realized was the sequel to one of my favorite books ever. It wasn't until years later that I ever realized this trilogy was so popular. I'm old enough that the internet wasn't really a thing back then. Fast forward to now and I'm having to read about someone using guilt by association (oh snap, MILITARY people like Tolkien!?!?!?!) to decry the author and his work. I mean, of all the things to give that much shit about, Tolkien? Just let it go and find something useful to worry about.
- michaelsbradley 4y ago
  Tolkien was a scholar, and also a deeply devout Roman Catholic from a young age. He stated that "The Lord of the Rings is a fundamentally religious and Catholic work." In personal letters to family members he related mystical experiences while praying before the Blessed Sacrament. His varied life experiences, such as being a soldier in World War I, surely had an influence on his novels, but the bigger picture is that LotR explores aspects of the Redemption (Christ's victory over evil) while avoiding overt allegory and symbolism.

logisticseh 4y ago

astrange 4y ago
LOTR was like the most popular book in the world behind the Bible. Of course everyone who's general-aged knows about it. Naming a government contractor Palantir is a joke on whoever did it of course, since the palantirs destroyed everyone who tried to use them.
- logisticseh 4y ago
  It wasn't really primarily about the generals. It was mostly about the captains (who are YOUNG) and soliders. It was the movies, not the books, that made LOTR a powerful tool for DoD. They didn't just know about it. It was an organizing piece of ideology and shared identity. Any analogy or metaphor that made reference was more likely to be funded. > Naming a government contractor Palantir is a joke on whoever did it of course, since the palantirs destroyed everyone who tried to use them. Sometimes trolls are all in on the same joke.
P5fRxh5kUvp2th 4y ago
Why does everything good have to become a fucking turf war? Seriously. I grew up absolutely loving the hobbit. Imagine my shock when in 9th grade I came across this huge red book in the school library that I realized was the sequel to one of my favorite books ever. It wasn't until years later that I ever realized this trilogy was so popular. I'm old enough that the internet wasn't really a thing back then. Fast forward to now and I'm having to read about someone using guilt by association (oh snap, MILITARY people like Tolkien!?!?!?!) to decry the author and his work. I mean, of all the things to give that much shit about, Tolkien? Just let it go and find something useful to worry about.
michaelsbradley 4y ago
Tolkien was a scholar, and also a deeply devout Roman Catholic from a young age. He stated that "The Lord of the Rings is a fundamentally religious and Catholic work." In personal letters to family members he related mystical experiences while praying before the Blessed Sacrament. His varied life experiences, such as being a soldier in World War I, surely had an influence on his novels, but the bigger picture is that LotR explores aspects of the Redemption (Christ's victory over evil) while avoiding overt allegory and symbolism.