Thanks, all of you, for your thoughts - I'm glad no one tore me apart for my revolutionary theory! [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]
littlemanpoet, I haven't read 'Smith of Wootton Major', but Shippey calls it Tolkien's second autobiographical allegory, so your thoughts are certainly valid.
HerenIstarion, your speculation that both Parish and Niggle represent Tolkien is quite plausible - Shippey calls this
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a 'bifurcation', as two aspects of Tolkien's own personality which he wished he could combine: the one creative, irresponsible, without ties..., the other scholarly, earthbound, practical, immediately productive...
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This interpretation has a psychological depth which is almost Jungian in its implications. Shippey again:
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The successful or 'eucatastrophic' end of the story depends on Niggle and Parish cooperating...
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It isn't difficult to perceive Tolkien as torn, desiring to be whole (much as Sam at the end of LotR?). The mystery of Parish's wife's identity, raised by
Kuruharan, is also satisfactorily answered by this reading of the allegory.
An additional comment to the various ideas about the neglected garden - Shippey says it
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surely represents the professional field which Tolkien had been appointed to cultivate, and which some certainly thought... he had indeed been neglecting.
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That sounds quite logical to me; however, it raises the question of the identity of the Inspector - the Law, which
littlemanpoet suggests, doesn't quite fit, in my opinion.
Hmmm, seems I'm leaning rather heavily on Shippey in this reply, but he says it so well that I can't improve on his words! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]