Tolkien’s Beautiful Imagination

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” These words were wisely spoken by J. R. R. Tolkien, who is one of the most renowned writers in the world. Authoring classic fantasy works likeThe Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion during the mid-1900s, Tolkein had risen to great fame, however fame is not what he valued most. Because his life experiences inspired his writings, his beloved tales include distinct Christian morality. As an orphan in the care of a parish priest, his childhood taught him obedience and self sacrifice, while war service taught him loyalty, and his professional life taught him persistence and perfection.

Because of the many fascinating people and places in his childhood, J.R.R. Tolkien was inspired to pursue a career in writing. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born on January 3, 1892, in Bloemfontein, South Africa to Mabel and Arthur Tolkien, who was an English bank manager. Cheerfully he resided with his father, mother and younger brother, Hilary, in Africa until he was three. When it was time for them to return to England, John sailed first with his brother and mother, and they eagerly awaited to be reunited with their father. While waiting for his father, John spent time at his aunt’s farm, named Bag End, which later inspired one of the major scenes in his books. Sadly Arthur never reached England. Because of Arthur Tolkien’s death, Mabel’s financial situation was bleak.
Tirelessly, Mabel taught her boys after she lost her family’s financial support when she converted to Catholicism Reading and writing by the age of four, Tolkien already had a special passion for languages. He excelled in Latin and was constantly making up languages with friends. Sadly when Tolkien was only twelve years old he lost his mother due to a severe sickness. Mabel sacrificed so much for her boys. Sacrificing for the love of another became a major theme in the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit because of her example. Tolkien’s childhood and faith were great inspirations for many of his books. Tolkien started seriously writing while he was fighting in World War I. [2] To the surprise of his family, Tolkien did not immediately enter into war service because he still had a year of studying to do at Oxford, and like many of his contemporaries he decided to complete his year before enlisting in the army. When he did volunteer, he was sent to the front line, which was very brutal. [6]The war was traumatic. It was like a horrific nightmare. Unfortunately Tolkien lost many of his very close friends to the war. In 1916, Tolkien caught the dreaded Trench fever, which was a nasty, gruesome disease spread by parasitic lice. He was enervated. Tolkien finally recuperated after much care. Astoundingly he became infected with it again less than a year later. During the remainder of the war, he alternated between hospitals and garrison duties because he was deemed unfit for service. The memories of lost friends and his experiences in World War I caused numerous stories to take shape. Detailing many of his war experiences, Tolkien wrote the Book of Last Tales which recorded calamities of war.

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