[The Elusive Spirit]

Here’s my 2 cents:
I’ve come to think that everyone has their own brand of “reality”. Each person leads a different life with different experiences that causes them to look at the reality of the world around them in a unique way. The way I see the world is different from how Fordim sees it. This creates a problem when discussing the issue of the reality of Tolkien’s works. It seems to me that this is a question best answered by each individual person, but perhaps I am thinking too much.
I do however, think that there are a few general ways that Tolkien’s art seems real. Tolkien choose to write about Middle Earth in a some-what historical format. I kind of think of it as reading a history book written by someone who had a personal connection to the main “characters”. Also, when reading about a place in the books one may get the impression that they have seen that place in a picture or on tv and is really part of our planet. Finally the characters and problems of Middle Earth are often parallel to those in this world. For example there are races that don’t get along well like dwarves and elves (in Middle Earth) and people of color and people who are fair skinned (in our world). I hope I have hit close to the mark. Imladris, I think you put it best, Middle Earth is a “shadow of reality”, but I personally like to think of it as reality. I hope I have not contradicted my self!


Something to chew on: “Poetry and Hums aren’t things which you get, they’re things which get you. And all you can do is to go where they can find you.”
Consider it in the context of the reality of Tolkien’s work. Weather it is reality to you or not, did it “get” you?