Oof so many things to comment on (forgive me for not quoting some of you).
Fairy Tales and Myth: I was told by my Modern Mythology teacher (who is a rabid Tolkien/Lewis fan and has studied their works and the other Inklings in depth) said that Lewis and Tolkien viewed myth/fairy stories as the same thing. In essence they were the same -- they just used different words.
I was reading through these posts and came across something that I had missed on my first rebuttal post:
Quote:
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It is a funny thing about the Curse of the Noldor, but it was a necessary thing to teach the Noldor the value of what they had before. They refused to obey the Valar, but the Valar had to let them go. It was the Noldor themselves who did not want to stay. Afterwards, they had to be prepared to return in their new forms to Valinor and not cause another riot.
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This is exactly my point. Who was behind the riot? Who put the sparks to the wood? Melkor after he was released. Melkor lied to the Noldor...told them that they were the Noldor's thralls. This is another thing that makes me angry: the Valar should have been on their guard...they should not have let Melkor run loose...only Ulmo (unsurprisingly) seemed to know that Melkor was up to no good. Feanor was doomed before he was even born.
I believe that either Tolkien or Lewis mentioned that eucatastrophe was, indeed, a part of the reader's perspective...however...but..I don't remember where.
I've been told by various members that both LotR were tainted with sorrow, to which I agree. However, they are vastly different endings.
LotR was full of mercy. Gandalf, Frodo, and Faramir were all merciful. The Valar were not (see my quotes below). And that, to me, is a huge difference.
You are looking at actions -- I am looking at the principles behind that action. The Valar should not have been so unforgiving...they should not have made it so that one needed a Silmaril to get to the Blessed Realm. Just that he had to have one makes it seem as if he had to
buy the forgiveness.
More later once I get my thoughts more organized.