Concerning Hobbits: Tolkien and the Trauma of England's 19Th/20Th

Q&A How did you become involved in doing research? My research developed out of my final paper for English 598, Mapping London. We were given the freedom to work with any texts which we could use to facilitate an examination of British culture, and so I turned to an area of my own interest, fantasy literature and Tolkien. How is the research process different from what you expected? The research process spread my focus out from the primary texts with which I was working and quickly intermeshed my argument in the larger scholarly community. I was involved in the debate in a much more direct About Ryan Smith manner than I had expected I would be during undergraduate research. HOMETOWN What is your favorite part of doing research? Overland Park, Kan. My favorite part of the research process was the actual writing of the final paper and the way in which I could see a single argument forming from MAJORS the myriad of research strands and ideas which I had examined. English and History ACADEMIC LEVEL Senior RESEARCH MENTOR Mary Klayder University Honors Lecturer in English Concerning Hobbits: Tolkien and the Trauma of England’s 19th/20th Century Transition Ryan W. Smith Fantasy is often purported to be culture of 19th century Midland by the events of the War of the Ring, a contextless genre, defined by farmers placed within the larger and, likewise, the characters, Frodo, escapism, a secondary world of Dark Age setting of Middle-earth. Bilbo, and Sam, who once stood literature springing entirely from Tolkien’s depiction of this hobbit race, as emblematic templates of a 19th the mind of the author and, thereby, in general, amounts to a caricature of century, rural, English ideal, are independent of any historicism; rural Englishness, a warm picture of forever altered and unsettled by their however, despite codifying the very a simple people who love to “laugh… trials. In this fashion, the journey genre, the works of author J.R.R. and eat, and drink, often and heartily, undertaken by Frodo and his Halfling Tolkien, and in particular The Lord being fond of simple jests at all companions can be understood as of the Rings, subvert this expectation times, and of six meals a day (when the painful transition between the through Tolkien’s premier creation: they could get them)” (Tolkien Lord literary modes of the 19th century hobbits. These diminutive creatures, of the Rings 2). But this initial, static fairy tale (as found in The Hobbit hobbits, function as an anachronistic image of hobbit culture is changed and initial chapters of The Lord of the 80 | journal OF UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH Rings) and the 20th century postwar entry point for many into Tolkien’s allows the reader to regain a true novel (as found in the concluding larger Middle-earth Legendarium, understanding of the familiar, seeing chapters of The Lord of the Rings). functions undoubtedly as both it through a new lens. Both narratives Tolkien uses the anachronistic hobbit a children’s story and a fairy tale. demonstrate this fairy tale function, culture as a means through which This early tale of Bilbo Baggins and, as Reilly notes, this capability to understand the trauma of the originally took place outside the is what grants fantasy a level of shift in English identity between the more detailed mythology of Middle- practical application: “It follows that idealized Victorian era and the urban, earth which Tolkien had begun to Fantasy, far from being irrelevant to industrialized, postwar 20th century, draw up through his many tales. reality, is in fact extremely relevant coming to terms with modernist This ahistorical status of The Hobbit, to moral reality” (Reilly 146). In this fracture through the euphemism of unconnected to the intensely fashion, the traumas of Middle- the fantasy genre. mapped and elaborated setting of earth become reflections of the The primary contextual difference Middle-earth, loosened the rules traumas of reality, especially so in between the two works, at least within the created universe, thus regards to the larger cultural shifts in regards to their compositional allowing for many species to feature occurring around the time of the history, is that The Hobbit was written which otherwise have no origin story works’ compositions. Likewise, both during peacetime (published 1937), within the mythos, namely, for our narratives demonstrate the fantasy whereas much of The Lord of the sake, hobbits. The Hobbit story would function of escape, and it is in this Rings was written during World War later be retroactively adopted into the particular capability that the fantasy II (published 1955). Many, for this Middle-earth context, with limited genre might be understood as a reason, attribute the darker themes editing on Tolkien’s part, becoming euphemistic tool, allowing readers and more mature literary style of a precursor then for its sequel, the to approach topics of painful reality The Lord of the Rings to its situational larger epic saga of The Lord of the through their seemingly unconnected, context; however, one must not Rings. In reference to the lack of firm and therefore, safe, secondary overlook Tolkien’s own words on the placement within the established world settings. On the subject of subject: “An author cannot of course fantasy-universe alone, meaning the the euphemistic function of fantasy, remain wholly unaffected by his lack of qualities which denote The Flieger claims that The Lord of the experience, but the ways in which a Lord of the Rings as a particular brand Rings only cloaks itself in a façade story-germ uses the soil of experience of fantasized historical-fiction, The of medievalism “while in specific are extremely complex, and attempts Hobbit can be labeled a fairy tale. In places in the narrative sounding to define the process are at best guess his essay, “On Fairy-Stories,” Tolkien like—in spirit, in character, and from evidence that is inadequate elaborates on the particular goals of (most important by least noticed) in and ambiguous.” Nevertheless, he fairy tale fiction, which are as follows: tone—a surprisingly contemporary continues, “As the years go by it recovery, escape, and consolation. twentieth-century novel, very much seems now often forgotten that to The Hobbit, I argue, contains all three in and typical of its time” (Flieger be caught in youth by 1914 was no of these elements, thus denoting it 22-3). In this manner then, The less hideous an experience than to be as a proper fairy tale, while The Lord Lord of the Rings is able to confront involved in 1939 and the following of the Rings lacks properly carried cultural traumas precisely because it years” (Tolkien Lord of the Rings out consolation, which limits its represents them with half-fantastical Location 368). While this is important placement within Tolkien’s strict fairy resemblances and not blunt realities. to note at the outset, moving forward tale genre and demonstrates the Tolkien’s final function of a fairy in analysis, however, my intent is larger English trauma latent within tale—consolation—separates The neither to singularly identify the its creation. Hobbit from The Lord of the Rings, for, personal traumas in Tolkien’s history However, before delving into understanding Bilbo and Frodo to be nor to make claims of immediate the matter of consolation, mention the respective protagonists of the two causality between authorial must first be given to the concepts works, Bilbo receives a happy ending experience and written production; of recovery and escape, which with little emotional trauma or instead, this essay will attempt to are to be found in both examined scarring, while Frodo meets a more link the literary modes and content works of Tolkien. Tolkien defines tragic end, despite the larger success of these particular compositions to recovery, as “a re-gaining—regaining of his quest. As Frodo explains to larger cultural traumas, which extend of a clear view” (Tolkien “On Fairy- Sam: “I have been too deeply hurt, beyond the individual. Stories” 146), by which he means, Sam. I tried to save the Shire, and The Hobbit, which serves as the the narrative of the secondary world it has been saved, but not for me” Fall 2012 – Spring 2013 | 81 (Tolkien Lord of the Rings 1029). (Vickroy 11-2). Proximity to the One 356). Elaborating, he explains: Tolkien elaborates on consolation: Ring, for example, in The Lord of “I cordially dislike allegory in all of “Almost I would venture to suggest that the Rings and, interestingly, not The its manifestations, and always have all complete fairy-stories must have Hobbit, has this corrosive effect on the done so since I grew old and wary it. At least I would say that Tragedy is past and present ring-bearers: Bilbo, enough to detect its presence. I much the true form of Drama, its highest Frodo, and Gollum. Gandalf explains prefer history, true or feigned, with function; but the opposite is true of how this experience stunts their lives its varied applicability to the thought Fairy-Story. Since we do not appear to the point that a ring-bearer “does and experience of the readers. I think to possess a word that expresses this not grow or obtain more life, he that many confuse ‘applicability’ with opposite—I will call it Eucatastrophe. merely continues, until at last every ‘allegory’; but the one resides in the The eucatastrophic tale is the true form moment is a weariness” (Tolkien Lord freedom of the reader, and the other in of the fairy-tale, and its highest function” of the Rings 47). Having begun to the purposed domination of the author” (Tolkien “On Fairy-Stories” 153).

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