Lord of the Rings :: essays research papers

In the The Lord of the Rings, by J. Tolken, there are many things that make the story symbolic of a Christian influence. The constant emphasis of good vs. evil brings forth reason to suspect that this novel has a Christian basis. In this paper I will prove and backup my personal opinion through sighting specific examples of the influences from the book. Iluvatar is similar to a Christian god and the Valar are something in the middle of Christian angels and the gods of pagan myth. The highest of the Valar was Morgoth, who led a satanic rebellion; Sauron was the lieutenant of Morgoth. The Lord of the Rings is only one chapter of that mythology; it continues the fight of good (Iluvatar) vs. evil (Morgoth). One of the people in the book that particularly stood out was Tom Bombadil. Tom says one of his purposes is to "teach the right road, and keep your feet from wandering." In the bible it says, "...your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, this is the way; walk in it." (Is. 30:21). As the hobbits begin their journey, they fall into trouble with Old Man Willow and are rescued by Tom Bombadil, who possesses power over Nature. They don’t really understand who he is, all he will say is, â€Å"Eldest is what I am.† In Christian Philosophy the eldest are the wisest and best at making disicions it seems that Tom represtents that elderst wise man. Tom acts almost like an angel it seems, he will only help when worst comes too worst to intervene in outside affairs. This is what Tom Bombadil does in rescuing the hobbits from Old Man Willow. Another one of the big things is the black rider who is the servants of the enemy. Though all Free People oppose Sauron, the elves have been his greatest enemy, which is why the Black Rider immediately leaves when he hears the elves' voices. Elves are immortal (unless slain) In one of the scenes the Riders chase down Fro do at the Ford. As they wade their horses into the river, they are swept away in an enormous, magical flood. In the bible the story of Joshua, the waters of the river are "stacked up" in a similar manner, allowing God's people to cross into the promised land before the river resumes flood stage. And remember the deal with Moses and the Red Sea?