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The Hobbit Redemption: Christian Heroism & Humility in the Work of J.R.R. Tolkien

Geoffrey M. Vaughan Assumption College, [email protected]

Jennifer Vaughan

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Recommended Citation Vaughan, Geoffrey M. and Jennifer Vaughan. "The Hobbit Redemption: Christian Heroism & Humility in the Work of J.R.R. Tolkien." Touchstone: A Journal of Mere Christianity vol. 28 no. 5 (Sept/Oct 2015): pp. 27-31. http://www.touchstonemag.com/.

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aughan edemption place far distant from our own; the sensibilities sensibilities the own; our from distant far place figuresweportrays? do Tolkien seeism the in hero­ distant and longed-for us? what charitably, to More appeal still combat hand-to-hand of stories and critic, C.critic, S. Lewis:and hmevs r frin I te od o i friend, his of words the In foreign. are themselves as they are, are haunted and scarcely different from from scarcely and different are,haunted arethey as such heroes, Contemporary equally anti-Romantic. their foes, alone and often persecuted by those they bythose persecuted often foes,and alone their isage our “ours,” Lewisas refers which to age the ETMBROTBR21 I TOUCHSTONE I 2015 BER/OCTOBER SEPTEM Tolkien’s works are not only set in a time and and time a in set only not are Tolkien’sworks The book is like lightning from a clearsky; a from likelightning is book The n his T syta i thri romance, heroic it in that say To theirs. in age as[William Blake’s] our in unpredictable different,assharplyas While we have moved several score years beyond It . . . isinadequate.anti-romanticism, its in denly returned at a period almost pathological gorgeous, eloquent, and unashamed, had sud­ tion: the conquest of tion:conquestthe of newterritory. advancean but or revolu­return a marksnot | these who die ascattle?” die who these | “Anthem of line opening The i j prises of the twentieth century. twentieth of the prises j mod­ for disgust their shared friends, and Somme, of lost the ; | I the centenary of the war, the the war, the of centenary the I Just last year, as we observed observed we as year, last Just ot “ht asn-el for passing-bells “What poet: would killthe warsoon that the about feelings his of revealing Youth”isless for no Doomed a most successful writing enter- writing successful most the of one in heroism martial praise warfare—went to ern on Battle the servedat who poets, these of man—acontemporary rected by Peter Jackson, hit the the by Peter hit rected Jackson, di­ Tolkien’s world, R. R. J.of adaptation blockbuster sixth haes Hw ol Tolkien’s could How theaters. And yet, another young young another yet, And Songs of Innocence were 27 protect, or disillusioned with the causes for which they Fantasy is a natural human activity. It certainly fight (as Batman, Spiderman, and Captain America does not destroy or even insult Reason; and it does reveal). They reflect the sentiments of the war poets far not either blunt the appetite for, nor obscure the more than those of Tolkien. Yet the success of his work perception of, scientific verity. On the contrary, and its attraction is undeniable. In a 1997 poll, and in the keener and the clearer is the reason, the better numerous polls thereafter, The Lord of the Rings ranked fantasy will it make. If men were ever in a state in among the top works of literary fiction ever published; which they did not want to know or could not per­ one even names it the “book of the millennium.” How ceive truth (facts or evidence), then Fantasy would can a tale of the glories of battle be so popular? languish until they were cured.

Cured of what? Cured of that which prevents us The Gifts of Faerie from seeing the truth about ourselves and our world. Quite simply, Tolkien expresses the power of the Chris­ Cured of our contempt, for one thing, and our boredom. tian imagination in the face of suffering, death, and Cured of our anxiety, possessiveness, distaste, artless­ horror. In particular, he provides us with the opportu­ ness, and indeed our despair; the last being, accord­ ing to the late Stratford Caldecott, “the chief weapon of evil.” These are some of the named troubles that These fantasy heroes from a “secondary plague our age and make men and women prefer not to know truth. world” do not offer us salvation, but Fantasy can assist us in being healed from them. they demonstrate how our imitation of “The magic of Faerie,” Tolkien Christ might affect our actions in this explains, “is not an end in itself; its virtue is in its operations: among “primary world,” and redound to the these are the satisfaction of certain praise and glory of God. primordial human desires.” Among these desires is the ability to plumb the depths of space and time, and also to enter into communion with nity to see what happens if one’s imagination has been all that is living. The broad-winged bird of our imagina­ consecrated by the truth of the Gospels, truths that are tions can be let loose from its bondage to preen, soar, and open to being expressed in the particular media that they hunt through a landscape that magnifies our inner life. have appropriated. The Christian encounter with the art Make no mistake, it is a landscape with dragons, as well and music of various cultures is itself a fascinating study. as creatures that are more like us than we might wish to In this case, Tolkien applied his Christian imagina­ admit. tion to an epic in an age broken by the most devastating wars in history. Under these conditions, heroism takes an unexpected turn. In place of power and strength there The Least Likely of H eroes is humility, in place of shrewdness and decisiveness there How can one be expected to take a prescription from is obedience. These qualities are embodied in the unlikely hobbits in earnest, not to mention from wizards or heroism of the Halflings, particularly Frodo Baggins in dwarves or elves? We must first acknowledge that, in The Lord of the Rings. But this brings us to the problem of being what they are, they are not what they seem. In the the fantasy genre, a sticking point for many readers and words of Verlyn Fleiger, “They are not pixies, or Corrig­ non-readers alike. ans or leprechauns or boggarts.” Though fantasy, they In Tolkien’s analysis, the realm of Faerie offers us are remarkably, even disconcertingly, like us. In other several gifts: fantasy, recovery, escape, and consolation. words, hobbits may be the most bourgeois characters in Consider two of these gifts in particular: fantasy and twentieth-century fiction. recovery. In his essay, “On Faerie Stories,” he explains On introduction, they have small vices and small that fantasy always begins with “arresting strangeness.” virtues; they like to garden and drink beer; their chief It reorients us by taking us out of the familiar, but it does occupation may be smoking pipe-weed or celebrating a not force us to abandon all that we know when we enter birthday. They aspire to nothing more than a comfort­ its realm. According to Tolkien: able second breakfast. Travel is discouraged; adventure

28 TOUCHSTONE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 iStockphoco Alexis de Tocqueville could have been referring to hob­ to referring been have could Tocqueville de Alexis wizard, “and yet sometimes as tough as old tree-roots. I tree-roots. old as tough as sometimes yet “and wizard, rarer. be doubt common.” without would virtues entirely, world moral the extraordinary dominate to came well self-interest of understood doctrine the “If wrote, he when bits question. the of out quite is Heroism upon. frowned is we are introduced to their kind in in kind their to time By the introduced weare millennium. a for co-exist might hobbits of a establish to enough was This just.” living and all of ancient “both outside Once, childish. not are they but Middle story. its both and of Earth center very the inhabit heroes, of likely exis­ the notices even matter, that for who, or lore, their less be then would depravity gross that think also I But When the Fellowship of the Ring is established at the the at established is Ring the of Fellowship the When functioning and civilizing society in which three breeds breeds three which in society civilizing and laws good functioning and king, good a had hobbits the memory, least the believe.”Hobbits, Wise would the of most than longer far Rings the resist would some likely that it think the explains be,” can they butter as “Soft them. of tence and hobbits about cares who Earth Middle of Wise the other’s glances, something happens to the young hobbit: young the to happens something glances, each other’s avoid races stronger the of warriors great the result While host. the ancient the what even not will be, Ring the fathom can destroying of one no Elrond, of Council F some of unease the stirs creatures strange of persons, also strange of but only not a appearance themselves The make nuisance.” not [do] small, or great kind, any of Outsiders that “see to increases “Bounders” of necessity the however, near, than draws story the of animals time wayward Asthe people. with concerned more be to ally residents. rodo Curiously, Gandalf the Wizard is the only one among among one only isthe Wizard the Gandalf Curiously, awaiting the pronouncement of some doom that doom some of was he if as pronouncement him, the awaiting on fell dread great A . . eyes. . not were they faces,but the all at glanced Frodo In other matters they they were, and as a matters rule, generous other In child-like, be even may they small, be may Hobbits turned to him. All the Council sat with downcast downcast with sat Council All the him. to turned estates, farms, workshops and small trades tended tended small trades and workshops farms, that estates, so moderate, and contented greedy,but not time. of their most occupied it earing and food ing hardly any “government.” Families Shirethe had... to remain unchanged for for generations. unchanged remain to own their affairs.managed Grow­ part for most the Enforcers of Shire law, such as they are, tend gener­ tend are, they as law, such Shire of Enforcers ’ s H umility & O bedience The Lord of the Rings, what it means, or used to mean, to act heroically. It also also It heroically. act to mean, to used or means, it what Frodo Gandalf, wizard the even or Boromir, or Aragorn, im­ the apprehend cannot he bearer, Ring the become even not He does consequences. the of consideration little self-assessment on which real humility depends. Frodo is Frodo depends. humility real which on self-assessment reservation; of type this exhibit not do Achil­ like instance, for les,heroes forces Epic face. the to have will against he stand darkness of might he how imagine cannot to Compared limitations. be­ his but about coward, a realistic is is he he cause because not reluctant, that naturally virtues the ahead lies exhibits he that action, one journey this the In of him. of demands or plications way.the know with conscience his obeys He must. he he that because but understands praised, and recognized be to desires he because he or because situation, the master not to how precisely service planned his offers He vocation. own his Dwight Longenecker, “The classic hero lacks the realistic realistic the lacks hero classic “The Longenecker, Dwight to willdie.they According and willoverreach, they means is This abilities. their in confident and prepared are they because drawn, sword danger, into headlong plunge they is Frodo obedience. and humility lack: heroes epic the At the time he steps forward to fulfill the task and and task the fulfill to forward steps he time the At do I “though said,Ring,”voice, he the “I will take In this moment, Frodo is overcome by the reality of of reality the by overcome is Frodo moment, this In way.” the know not own words, as if willsome other was using his his smallhear to wondered and spoke, he effort an with At filledlast heart. his peace... at remain and rest to longing overwhelming An spoken. benever all after might foreseen vainly long and hoped he had ETMBROTBR21 I TOUCHSTONE I 2015 BER/OCTOBER SEPTEM 29 totally lacking in hubris. Throughout LOTR he is full of an English Tommy like “the privates and batmen I knew fear, dread, confusion and doubt.” Bravado might have in 1914 and recognized as so far superior to myself’—as made him a greater hero, but it would have also made well as the others, diverting the attention of the evil him more of a fool. forces gathering to descend upon the Ring-bearer. Frodo While these sentiments might lead others away from is not a solitary hero. For that matter, Frodo himself is such a quest, they fuel Frodo’s persistent obedience to incapable of finally achieving his task without the direct the voice he heard speak through him at the Council of intervention of his pitiful nemesis, Gollum. Elrond: I will take it. . . though I do not know the way. This What is particularly humbling for Frodo about the obedience is what prevents Frodo from becoming weak, creature Gollum is that the latter represents everything even in the face of paralyzing fear. To draw the distinction inverted and twisted that Frodo has the potential of again: the wrath of Achilles drives the story of the Iliad, becoming—a creature with no remaining free will, loving the obedience and humility of Frodo does the same for and hating himself as he loves and hates the Ring. If it The Lord of the Rings. were not for both his slavish orienteering of Frodo and Sam into Mordor and his nightmarish attack at the last moment, the Ring would still be in Middle Earth. Frodo N ot a S olitary H ero does not forget the stories that Gandalf has told him On many occasions along the road, particularly as the about Gollum’s origin, or about his near-murder at the Fellowship breaks apart, Frodo is filled with doubt and hands of Bilbo. He certainly cannot forget these things despair. But the fact that he does not set out alone to once the deed of destroying the Ring has been accom­ bear the Ring gives him courage. This feature of the story plished—by Gollum, and not by himself. For these rea­ cannot be emphasized too strongly: all the heroic deeds sons, he remains humble, even after his quest is achieved. that Frodo accomplishes, when they are heroic and not merely necessary, are made possible by the community of friends and strangers, and even the strangest of friends, A M erciful H ero that forms to help him achieve the ruin of the Ring. We do see some change in his character once the burden of Frodo would never have made it to Mt. Doom to de­ destroying the Ring has been accomplished. For the Ring, stroy the Ring if it had not been for Samwise Gamgee at though a tool of the most powerful force of evil in Middle his side—according to Tolkien, rendered in the image of Earth, is by no means the only evil. Upon returning

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30 TOUCHSTONE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 home after the yearlong quest, Frodo bears scars from There is no shortage of arresting strangeness to the the battles he fought: a missing finger and the unhealed twentieth century, even without fantasy. Two world wars, wound from the Morgul-blade. And like Odysseus re­ 11 million innocents killed under the Nazis, 100 million turning to Ithaca, the hobbits find their beloved Shire under various Communist regimes, the threat of nuclear in a ruinous state. (This the movies omit.) Frodo comes annihilation hovering over three generations, environ­ home to find that the works of Mordor have found their mental destruction, and apocalyptic terror that can strike way directly into his home and his family. Not only is his from the other side of the world. In Tolkien’s words: house a mess, and the village devastated, but his Uncle Lotho—whom he never had much reason to like—has Men have conceived not only of elves, but they been dragged out and killed. have imagined gods, and worshipped them, even It is just too much. Frodo’s courage and his will worshipped those most deformed by their authors’ are reinvigorated to defend his own home. And while own evil. But they have made false gods out of he makes it clear to those he leads that the shedding of other materials: their notions, their banners, their blood in defense of the Shire itself will not be tolerated, monies; even their sciences and their social and he will not spare any who threaten the lives of his people. economic theories have demanded human sacrifice. The same mercy that spared Gollum’s life seems now to possess Frodo, for he wishes neither death nor revenge And yet how easy it is to fall into complacency. Evil exists upon any of the evil invaders of the Shire, not even the around us and we barely notice. wicked and powerful Saruman. Instead, he casts him out “Of course . . . [fantasy] stories are not the only of the Shire like a boggart exorcised from a well. Saru­ means of recovery, or prophylactic against loss,” ex­ man, in wonder, respect, and hatred replies: plains Tolkien. “Humility is enough.” Even in his blue cloak and great, floppy hat sitting beside the well of You have grown, Halfling. . .. Yes, you have grown mythopoeia, Tolkien is not the diviner of this idea. This very much. You are wise, and cruel. You have robbed is the Christian vision: the consecrated imagination my revenge of sweetness, and now I must go hence that attends to the truth expressed through the eternal in bitterness, in debt to your mercy. I hate it and logos, fashioned into form as mythos by storytellers like you! Well, I go and I will trouble you no more. But Tolkien. Tolkien’s heroes, not only the hobbits, but the do not expect me to wish you health and long life. kings and men and wizards of Middle Earth who dem­ You will have neither. But that is not my doing. I onstrate heroic deeds—from the felling of tyrants to the merely foretell. casting out of evil spirits—every last one of them bases action in kenosis. Of course, Frodo never expected to make it home at As the Christian gospel demonstrates so clearly, it is all, so umbrageous predictions of his imminent, or even only through kenosis (self-emptying love) that the hero his eventual end do not move him. Saruman thinks like can offer himself up as the victim in service to others. any dark heart would think; he assumes that a threat­ These fantasy heroes from a “secondary world” do not ening tone and the portent of death will terrify Frodo, offer us salvation, but they demonstrate how our imita­ for terror is the best he can hope for in his diminished tion of Christ might affect our actions in this “primary state. He is lacking imagination, as evil always does, for world,” and redound to the praise and glory of God. he simply cannot imagine what it would be like to be The paradox of self-emptying, joined as it is to hu­ good. He is as full of contempt and artlessness as any mility and obedience, presents the stumbling block that postmodern man in need of the recovery presented Christ himself promised it would. “For judgment I came by Faerie. into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” As a deeply faith-filled Catho­ lic, Tolkien’s own sub-creation of Middle Earth and its A Mirror of H ope inhabitants gives witness to the power of an imagination The hobbits in this twentieth-century epic hold up before that has been transformed by this paradox. This story, us not a mirror of scorn as Tolkien described it in “On and the heroism portrayed in it, are not mere fantasy; Faerie Stories,” but a mirror of hope in what is good they are truth. Through the imitation of the virtues we and just and worthy of our affection. Fantasy allows us witness in humble, obedient, kenotic heroism comes to gaze at the “arresting strangeness” of our own lives opportunities for recovery in our own age, and even for reflected back in a new way. Faerie allows us to recover sanctity for any one of us. Living this hope kept Tolkien our sight, and from thence to recover our ability to un­ from despair after the war; witnessing it in his Faerie can derstand the world we live in. do the same, and more, for us. O

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