POLL: LotR, Tolkien and You

[Fingolfin of the Noldor]

Please answer these question to the best of your abilities. I am not looking for "right" answers simply your thoughts off-hand. Thank you for participating in my first and most important poll smilies/smile.gif

Feel free to just post the question number and the letters ans answers. in fact, I would rather you do that as it will make the information easier to organize. smilies/smile.gif

1. What is the theme of Lotr?
a. Power and its vices
b. Good and Evil
c. Death and Immortality
d. Power of the Small and Weak
e. War and Friendship

2. Is there as secondry theme? If so what is it?
a. Power and its vices
b. Good and Evil
c. Death and Immortality
d. Power of the Small and Weak
e. War and Friendship

3. Are there any contemporary references? If so please post your thoughts in the thread
Yes
No

4. What type of work is lotr?
a. Nostalgic
b. Contemporary
c. Forward-looking

5. How does lotr provide truths on the human condidtion?
a. Through metaphor
b. Through allegory
c. Through mythological icons
d. Through realism(exemplars)
e. Through pure fantasy

6. Which of the following moved you when you first read lotr?
(please check all that apply)

a. the sound of the horses of the Rohirrim at cockcrow
b. Gollum's faliure (just) to repentwhen interupted by Sam
c. Sam's disquisistion on the seamless web of story
d. the general sense of endless untold stories
e. the general heart racking sense of the vanishing past(best expressed by Gandlaf's words about the Plantiri)

7. Which of the following would you choose to characterized lotr?
(please choose all that apply)

a. exciting
b. generally enjoyable
c. moving
d. realistic
e. of deeper relevence imbeded in the stroy

8. How old were you when you first read lotr?


9. Do you feel you appriciation and understanding of of lotr increases with time?
Yes
No

[Lady_Báin]

1.b
2.d
(don't tell anyone but i don't know what cotemporary means smilies/biggrin.gif)
4.a
5.a
6.none of the ones listed but if pressed i'd say d
7.a,c,e
8. 13
9. yes

[greyhavener]

1. d
2. b.
3. yes. I think Saruman's machinery in which he produced the urak hai (probably spelled wrong) and his felling of the trees is a commentary on industrialization.
4. a
5. c
6. b. c. d.
7. e.
8. 15
9. yes

[greyhavener]

1. d
2. b.
3. yes. I think Saruman's machinery in which he produced the urak hai (probably spelled wrong) and his felling of the trees is a commentary on industrialization.
4. a
5. c
6. b. c. d.
7. e.
8. 15
9. yes

[Arwen Imladris]

1 d
2 e
3 ?
4 Nostalgic? Probubly c
5 d
6 d e
7 a b c d e
8 about 10
9 yes!

[ElanorGamgee]

1. b

2. d

3. Yes; I think that the destruction of the trees and the machinery in the Shire is his commentary on industrialism and that Sharky's reign of terror in the Shire is a commentary on totalitarianism, possibly influenced by the developments in the governments of Germany and Russia between WWI and WWII.

4. a

5. e

6. b, c, d, and e

7. a, b, c, d, e

8. 17 years old

9. Yes

[Thinhyandoiel]

1. b
2. d
3. yes, I can only think of and agree with what has already been mentioned...sorry I'm out of it today.
4. a
5. c
6. d, e
7. a,b,c,d,e,
8. 17
9. definately, er, I mean "yes" smilies/smile.gif

[Jessica Jade]

1. B- wow, all those choices are great themes in LOTR but ultimately it's about good and evil

2. A- Power and its vices. The ring itself is all of the evil in the world. All of the anger. All of the hatred. All of the suffering, hunger, jealousy, prejudice, senseless killings...all of that, made incarnate and bound into one object which is so powerful that no entity has the ability to completely conquer it.

3. Yes. I agree with what people have said before about the Shire and industrialization and totalitarianism. The violation of the Shire, and ALSO the fading of the elves&Lorien represents the inevitable fading of beautiful things and the disappearance of unspoilt nature.

4. A- it's a modern work of literature

5. Hmmm....it's too hard for me to pick one choice for this question. I guess i could say all the choices except for choice B (allegory). The similarities between the events in our world today and Tolkien's tales of Middle Earth arise out of Tolkien's desire to reflect truths about the real world. The fallen nature of man, who fights with himself instead of fighting the true enemy and the evil results that come from using evil means, even with good intentions are important...example: how Boromir wanted to use the ring at Minas Tirith to defeat Sauron, but Gandalf&Elrond stopped him because they knew that even if someone were strong enough to control the Ring and overthrow Sauron, he would only end up becoming a new dark lord, because the Ring is inherently evil; it will turn even good, noble minds to evil, and cannot be used to do good.

The power of courage, humility and simplicity of heart, (exemplified by the hobbits) is also very poignant. Frodo's innocent strength made him the only one fit to bear the ring. A lowly halfling changed the fate of the world and was the only one do so, because anyone else, who on the surface might have seemed more fit for such a huge and hateful task, would have been corrupted by the ring's evil, seductive power. And in the end, Frodo wins...GOOD wins over evil. Evil was defeated not because of prowess, but because humility, compassion, innocence, and goodness of heart. Evil and morbitiy cannot prevail over good.

6. Well, out of the given choices, i would say E moved me the most. Actually choice D and E are very similar. Like i said before, the invevitable fading of the beautiful things in life and unspoilt nature. Also, the moment when Gollum touched Frodo's knee and almost repented was profound. Sensing compassion, generosity, and kindness showed by Frodo, which was so unexpected, even a creature so wretched as Gollum could not help but respond. This event again emphasizes that good is more powerful than evil as well as the capacity for compassion and kindness in the human heart.

7. C and E, most definitely!

8.16 years old. I only discovered the beauty of Tolkien less than half a year ago. the movie inspired me to read the books.Yes i know i'm behind...but maybe if i'd first read them at a different point in my life they wouln't have been as meaningful or touching to me.

9. YES! Tolkien definitely grows on you. I'm discovering new things about it all the time. I'm always finding out other ways to look at it, and find things that made me understand all the more why Tolkien is so meaningful and profound.

Thanks for the great thread! smilies/smile.gif

[NyteSky]

1.f: all of the above. maybe B primarily. you can't limit LoTR to just one theme though.

2. C. The fading of the elves, lost knowledge, decline of mankind (age at least) etc.

3. I don't find much too specific. There are general things like corruption of power and revenge but that's about it. Maybe the industrialization with the Shire and Saruman.

4. D: timeless. Sorry, I'm not very good at sticking to the given answers.

5. I can never remember what allegories are, I always confuse them with other things. Doesn't matter here though, I choose D and E. The two can often be quite similar.

6. E. The fading of the elves specifically. (I'm an elf, what can I say?) There's just so much lost. *sigh*

7. E. I don't mean to read into it too much but there are some.

8. Hmm... started the Hobbit in 3rd grade but I don't think I actually finished any of them till 6th or 7th.

9. Yes. For me at least. I suppose it may stop eventually, but it won't for quite a long time for me!

[Nazgûl Queen]

<center><font color="red">1) a... I think that a main theme is that nothing is purely evil or purely good, only shades of inbetween... Sauron was once trying to help the world, Gollum did wnat to help Frodo, and all men have the capability of evil... so I can't say b like everyone else smilies/biggrin.gif

2) d... showing how heores don't always have to be the warriors and the scholars, and often the person who seem most unlikely can be strongest.

3) yes... the evil of industry... fading of nature... "absolute power corrupts absolutely..." and, in fact, most of the themes mentioned in 1 & 2 also have a relevance in everyday life...

4) Erm... I don't think it really fits into any of them...

5) a, i guess.. though its hard to choose...

6) b, c, d, e

7) All... but especially E

8) 10

9) Yes, in a way, because you become more appreciative of the deeper philosophies of the novel and just understand it more...

[Aiwendil]

1. C - that's what Tolkien said, anyway.

2. A. I don't think these are explicit themes, but rather the 'applicability' of which Tolkien spoke. Of course, all of the answers are really correct.

3. Can I vote 'maybe'? I think the machinery of Saruman does reflect modern industrialization, but unconsciously.

4. A, and there's nothing wrong with that.

5. C - though this is not its intention.

6. A,C,D,E

7. A,B,C

8. About 6.

9. Yes

[Aralaithiel]

OK..here goes:
1. e
2. b
3. Definitely industrialization, possibly totalitarianism, nothing else I can think of for right now to add.
4. a
5. e
6. d
7. e
8. 10
9. yes, without a doubt! smilies/biggrin.gif

[ May 05, 2002: Message edited by: Aralaithiel ]

[Kidd2323]

1. b
2. d
3. most definitely the destruction of trees and machinations of Uruk Hai by Saruman is a commentary by Tolkien concerning his thoughts on industrialization
4. a
5. c
6. c
7. a
8. when I was 13 and visiting relatives, i stumbled upon THe Hobbit because I was bored, I was hook for the rest of my trip (not to mention the rest of my life), and my family was hard pressed to get me off the couch for the rest of our trip
9. yes

[Ainu]

1) E
2)B
3)?
4)A
5)A (and e)
6)B and D
7)E, C and A
8) 14(but I didn't understand it, but I read it and enjoyed it the most two years later)
9)Yes

[piosenniel]

Well met, Fingolfin of the Noldor! Welcome to the Downs!

What are you going to do with the results of this poll?

[ May 05, 2002: Message edited by: piosenniel ]

[The Second Nazgul]

1. Good and Evil. Tought choice here, but that seemed to be the general theme to me, good vs. evil.

2. Power of the Small and Weak. It seemed to me that the mere hobbits being the saviors of Middle-Earth was an important part of the story.

3. No, can't think of any.

4. Nostalgic. The world isn't like that anymore, with brave heroes like in Gondor, and the kind of social interaction in the Shire.

5. Through Allegory. Almost everything in LOTR is symbolic, in my opinion.

6. C and D were the only ones that moved me. The discussions on the endless and untold stories really made me think.

7. B and E. LOTR was generally enjoyable for me, as far as the plot went. There also seemed to be deeper meaning it.

8. Thirteen, my age now.

9. Yes, definitely. I am growing more fond of it all the time. You are always realizing something new about Tolkien's world.

[Child of the 7th Age]

This is a good poll, though I wish "none of the above" or "all of the above" occurred in a few instances. I will fudge in a few cases and put more than one answer.


l. Tolkien said C,Death and immortality, and I agree this is very important. But if forced to pick only one answer, I would say B, the conflict of good and evil.

2. Secondary themes--I have to pick two: C, death and immortality and D) power of the small and weak

3. Yes, the Scouring of the Shire was the most obvious to me, but I don't think this was Tolkien's main intention in writing this. I think he wanted to show something about the vulnerability of an innocent people and how Frodo, Sam, Pippin, and Merry had gone beyond theit innocence to a new realization of the presence of good and evil in life as well as a new level of responsibility in their community.

4. NONE OF THE ABOVE. I really don't like the wording of these choices. Nostalgic, or a, is a longing for things, persons or situations that are not present. There is definitely an element of that, but I think it is too narrow a definition to be seen as the primary one. I'm not sure what label I'd be comfortable with. (I think Tolkien would have disliked terms like contemporary or forward-looking. ) If forced to put on a one or two word label, I might use "mythic" rather than "nostalgic". This implies more than person, place or thing--it gets into ideology and archetypes.

5. C, through myth icons would be primary

6. I have to put more than one answer here. This is ranked from highest to less high (I can't say lowest because nothing is low to me): e. sense of the vanishing past; c. Sam's disquisition on web of story b. Gollum's failure to repent (perhaps better phrased as Sam's interrupting Gollum making it impossible for him to repent!) d. endless untold stories

7. Again, I have to put more than one, from high to less high: c. moving and e of deeper relevence

8. 14 years old (in 1963!) (the Hobbit) followed by LOTR at age 15

9. Definitely, and I guess this is one question I have more of a perspective on than many posters. Tolkien's writings are like an onion. You peel back one layer to find exciting things that are meaningful to you. Then, months or even years later, some other theme or idea hits you very forcefully beause you yourself are going through different life experiences. the layers and shades of meaning are amazing. This is particularly true now that we have access to the Silm and the histories of Middle-earth.

Thanks for the poll! sharon, the 7th age hobbit

[Elven-Maiden]

1. What is the theme of Lotr?
b. Good and Evil

2. Is there as secondry theme? If so what is it?
a. Power and its vices

3. Are there any contemporary references? If so please post your thoughts in the thread
Yes, but I can't think of any at the moment

4. What type of work is lotr?
c. Forward-looking

5. How does lotr provide truths on the human condidtion?
e. Through pure fantasy

6. Which of the following moved you when you first read lotr?
b. Gollum's faliure (just) to repentwhen interupted by Sam
c. Sam's disquisistion on the seamless web of story
d. the general sense of endless untold stories
e. the general heart racking sense of the vanishing past(best expressed by Gandlaf's words about the Plantiri)

7. Which of the following would you choose to characterized lotr?
b. generally enjoyable
c. moving
e. of deeper relevence imbeded in the story

8. How old were you when you first read lotr?
16

9. Do you feel you appriciation and understanding of of lotr increases with time?
oh yes!

[Hanna_Gamgee]

1. What is the theme of Lotr?
b. Good and Evil

2. Is there as secondry theme? If so what is it?
d. Power of the Small and Weak

3. Are there any contemporary references? If so please post your thoughts in the thread
No
Not sure what u are asking.

4. What type of work is lotr?
a. Nostalgic
The book is looking at what happened in the past.

5. How does lotr provide truths on the human condidtion?
e. Through pure fantasy
Not sure if I understand the question.

6. Which of the following moved you when you first read lotr?
(please check all that apply)
None of the above really but these are the closest.
b. Gollum's faliure (just) to repentwhen interupted by Sam
e. the general heart racking sense of the vanishing past(best expressed by Gandlaf's words about the Plantiri)

7. Which of the following would you choose to characterized lotr?
(please choose all that apply)
a. exciting
c. moving
e. of deeper relevence imbeded in the stroy

8. How old were you when you first read lotr?
I was a child the first time I read it. I did not finish the book because I didnt understand it. Now that im a adult I reread the book and I love it.

9. Do you feel you appriciation and understanding of of lotr increases with time?
Yes
definetly

[Enedhil]

1. B
2. A
3. not too sure sorry
4. A
5. A
6. B, C & D
7. at least C & E
8. 19
9. since I only read it after receiving it as a present at christmas i've only read it once, but even now I'm picking up things, trying to find out and read as much as I can, and yes - even in this short space of time I understand and appreciate it more.

[Lanniae of the Axe]

This should take a while...

1. The theme of LOTR...
E!! Tolkien's emphasis on War and Friendship is very strong. Mostly friendship. There are three main friendships in LOTR that are what we call "perfect" (and people love 'em!): Frodo and Sam, Legolas and Gimli, and Merry and Pippin.

2. Contemporary references...
Well, yeah, there's the general things: we still have war and friendship, good and evil, we still have people trying to preserve what is traditional fighting people who welcome the new age with new ideas.

But not anything like that biased LOTR: FOTR National Geographic thing spews out, not like that.

4. LOTR is a nostalgic type of work.

5. LOTR provides truths on the human condition...
I would say ALL OF THEM A-E at different times!

6. Moved me the most...
C, D, and E
You always feel like there's somethign missing. Something more to be told. SOmething more that you could find out. It's almost overwhelming and depressing: "I'll NEVER know everything about Middle-Earth!"

7. Characterize...
A, B, C, D, and E! All of them are very true!

8. I read the hobbit in 4th grade, and then LOTR in 5th or 6th grade. Have been devoted since!

9. Does my appreciation and understanding of LOTR increase with time???.....
YES! of course it does! Every time I read it, think about it, look soemthi up, chat on the Barrowdowns...I GET IT MORE!

And I love it more!

Woo. That didn't take too long. But that was a very intellectual quiz!

--Lanniae

[Lostgaeriel]

Hey! Fingolfin of the Noldor!
What happened to
f. all of the above
and
g. none of the above ? smilies/wink.gif

Well, if I have to choose from the choices you gave, this might be accurate for me today at this time of the morning...

1. d.
2. c.
3. No
4. a. (in the full sense of the word)
5. c.
6. d., e.
7. a., b., c., d., e.
8. my 11th birthday
9. Yes

[amyrlis]

1. b
2. d
3. Yes, I would have to agree with those who mentioned industrialization.
4. a
5. I guess I would say c.
6. d & e
7. c & e
8. 14 or 15
9. Yes. I appreciate it more each time I read it.

[Keeper-of-Vilya]

1. B
2. A
3. Yes - all the things everyone else has said.. can't think of any others to add right now...
4. A
5. D
6. B, C, D, E,
7. A, B, C, D, E,
8. I was 12 the frist time I read LOTR, about 9 first time i read the Hobbit
9. Yes it most certainly grows with time

[Ithaeliel]

1: a
2: e
3: no
4: c
5: d
6: d and e
7: a through e
8: 13
9: yes

[dragongirlG]

1. What is the theme of LOTR? d. Power of the Strong and Weak
All of these are strong themes, but I believe d (power of the strong and weak) is a basis for them.

2. Is there a secondary theme? If so, what is it? a. Good and Evil
3. Are there any contemporary references? If so please post your thoughts in the thread
Yes--the industrialization of the Shire and the advancement of technology; the destruction of the hobbits' simple pleasures


4. What type of work is lotr?
a. Nostalgic
Ultimately all three choices are good, but I think Tolkien mean to capture something that happened before his time; to recapture the past, you could say


5. How does lotr provide truths on the human condidtion?
a. Through metaphor


6. Which of the following moved you when you first read lotr?
(please check all that apply)

b. Gollum's faliure (just) to repent when interupted by Sam
All of the choices were heart-rendering, but that moment--so close to repenting!--ruined!


7. Which of the following would you choose to characterized lotr?
(please choose all that apply)

e. of deeper relevence imbeded in the story

8. How old were you when you first read lotr? 13


9. Do you feel you appreciation and understanding of of lotr increases with time?
Yes

As you grow and experience more, your understanding deepens of the story and you can relate to it more.

[ May 29, 2002: Message edited by: dragongirlG ]

[Astaldotathrawen]

Well, this is just what I got out of it:

1.E
2.D
3.Yes, but everyone really has said what I was going to say. I agree with them.

4.A
5.E
6.Well, not really any of these, but I would say D

7.C
8.14-I just started reading at Christmas (2001)

9.If you mean, as I read through stuff about him and his works, then yes.

"We hobbits ought to stick together, and we will. I shall go, unless they chain me up. There must be someone with intelligence in the Party."
---Peregrin "Pippen" Took

[*Varda*]

Good poll!

1b - i definitely think good and evil was the main theme but it's hard to limit it to one
2d - Frodo was small, weak, yet he still accomplished the most important task
3 - Yes, for reasons already mentioned by others
4a
5e - but the others are also true
6d, e
7 a b c d e
8 - I was 12 at the time however i found it hard to fully understand them. When i reread them at 15 (my age now) they meant much more to me
9 - YES!!!!! like my previous answer, you understand them better and they seem to connect more to your life

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