THE INKLINGS, J.R.R. TOLKIEN, AND C.S. LEWIS: COLLECTIVELY PROVIDING SCAFFOLDS OF SUPPORT ____________ A Thesis presented to the faculty of California State University Dominguez Hills ____________ In Partial Fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in Humanities ____________ by Christopher Herzberg Spring 2016 I dedicate the work in this thesis to my aunt, Dr. Paulette Harris, and to the loving memories of my uncle, Dr. Audie Holmes, my personal friend Melissa Petrey Kern, and the love of my life, Nadine. My aunt and uncle’s words of encouragement and push for continued hard work towards furthering my education made all of this possible. Both of you have been my best supporters starting from my Associates degree all the way to this Master’s degree. Mel, you were instrumental in connecting me with others who were equally passionate about the works of Tolkien. These introductions paved the way for many great sources of inspiration in my life. Nadine, you never gave up on me through the struggles of writing this thesis. I love you with all my heart. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE DEDICATION ......................................................................................................................... ii TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................................iii ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................ iv CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 1 2. THE IMPACT OF WAR ON C.S. LEWIS AND J.R.R. TOLKIEN ............................... 5 Tolkien’s Life before the War Years .......................................................................... 6 The Battle of the Somme becomes Middle Earth ...................................................... 8 C.S. Lewis’ Life before the War Years .................................................................... 14 The Battle of the Arras and Lewis’ Innocence Lost ................................................ 17 3. THE FORMATION OF THE COALBITERS AND INKLINGS GROUPS ................ 22 The Seed of Creativity ............................................................................................... 24 The Inklings Arise ..................................................................................................... 28 Tolkien’s Impact on Lewis........................................................................................ 29 Lewis’ Impact on Tolkien ......................................................................................... 33 WORKS CITED ..................................................................................................................... 38 iii ABSTRACT In the early 1930s, a group of writers met each week and discussed their literary works in progress. The types of support varied from confidence builder to constructive criticism from fellow writers. Many times, Tolkien and Lewis’s discourse resulted in the final drafts of pieces of literature. This study uses primary and secondary sources that pertain to the Inklings, specifically C.S. Lewis and J.R.R Tolkien’s collective provision of literary support to one another. This thesis addresses the following topics: (1) how war service impacted the fantastical ideologies of Lewis and Tolkien who both had served in various roles during World War I, (2) how the Inklings improved the selected writings of the authors Tolkien and Lewis, (3) how Tolkien’s support and Lewis’s views on theology impacted their writing and spiritual beliefs, and (4) how the camaraderie formed in the Inklings defined authors Tolkien and Lewis. 1 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Beginning in the late 1930s and lasting nearly two decades, the literary group of scholars called the Inklings met twice each month on Thursday evenings at an Oxford, England pub where they read their writings in small group settings. The Inklings were not an official, formal, literary club. Yet, the group met regularly and discussed unfinished works that each member was writing. These members included prominent writers such as C.S. Lewis, who had been a member of an earlier writing support group known as “the Coalbiters,” J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, and others (Duriez 81). The writers participated in a beneficial, supporting exchange of ideas. At least six of the founding members had served in World War I, the war having ended over a decade before the Inklings were formed. Meetings of The Inklings provided a myriad of opportunities for prominent and lesser known literary scholars not only to perfect each other’s writing styles but to discuss and negotiate their many different genre writing preferences and background experiences, especially related to World War I. Writing that sparked the imagination was rising among faculty at Oxford. The world around them was drastically changing due to the growing industry brought on by war. Tolkien’s obsession with language and service as a communications officer in the war allowed him to transfer his passion for language into his writings. 2 In this thesis, I will address the impact that World War I had on the literary works of the group known as the Inklings, and I will take an in-depth look at the friendships and associations that occurred between Tolkien and Lewis, who had both been in battle. This thesis will identify the reasons for keeping such writing groups today. The Inklings of Oxford were both talented and challenged. The individual successes of the Inklings’ authors directly related to the support they provided each other. These writers truly were not only exceptionally gifted, but were faced with challenges from the war years. Society was ripe for escapism from the constant barrage of grim news regarding the war. These writers witnessed their country shrivel from a beautiful countryside to a dark industrial center pumping out weapons of death and destruction. The membership of the Inklings provided Tolkien and Lewis with coping strategies and the assistance each needed to become a more successful writer. The Inklings served as resources for the collective literary, social and emotional development of Tolkien and Lewis. According to Gareth Knight, that understanding of each other’s social and emotional climate was critical to their individual writing successes. The Inklings especially came to the writing group at critical points in their writing careers and their lives, especially Tolkien and Lewis (Knight 243-244). The Inklings recognized and nurtured the writing capabilities of their fellow Inklings. Collectively, they helped each other achieve their writing potential by serving as resources for each other not only in terms of their writing achievements, but in supporting their physical, social, and emotional frailties, which otherwise could have resulted in their writings suffering. According to Knight, such variables as mental health issues, post-war 3 syndromes, neurological disorders, physical handicaps, and overall social and emotional problems could have impeded their writing efforts and achievement (Knight 4-5). J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis recognized “the writing gift” that each possessed. The group would intervene at the right moment when Tolkien or Lewis would require a boost because their creativity was suppressed by physical, social, or emotional problems. Often such impediments were masked to outsiders; however, their fellow Inklings were quick to recognize the situations under those bravely worn masks. The Inklings did not address just simple, homogenous issues that had the potential to gently impede their writing success. According to Colin Duriez, they were a heterogeneous group of writers who experienced a variety of serious physical, social, and emotional crises oftentimes directly related to the times of their lives (Duriez 87-88). The Inklings’ camaraderie addressed such barriers. This lens allowed Inkling members to work through weaknesses while building each of their writing strengths. The most notable Inklings were C.S. Lewis, Owen Barfield, Charles Williams, and J.R.R Tolkien. This group of writers came to the Inklings unable to fully recognize what great writing potential lay inside them. The company the fellow Inklings kept brought out this hidden talent. The Inklings fit the following butterfly analogy: “A chrysalis is understandably nervous about its prospect as a butterfly. Not that, in the end, it has much choice in the matter; we are all part of some ordered process, whether we see it as the direct hand of a God or through the agency of various intermediaries of the company we keep” (Knight 245). The Inklings acted as the catalyst that each member needed in order to grow. These creative minds were 4 transformed from the early stage of a caterpillar, to cocoon, chrysalis, and finally into a beautiful butterfly through their company with fellow Inklings. An in-depth study of the research related to the Inklings, namely Tolkien and Lewis, will require the study of sources primary and secondary, in order to gain a better understanding of the Inklings and their influence on each other. For example, during the prime years of the Inklings, Tolkien and Lewis played off the literary genius of one another. It will be necessary to understand the authors’ works and the authors themselves in order to grasp the full impact that the Inklings’ camaraderie had on each other’s literary prowess during the war