‘Canonicity’: the Book or the Reader? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Fordim Hedgethistle · 04-12-2004, 06:18 PM

Yes -- thanks for that quote Bethberry: it's always been one of my very favourite by Tolkien as it links the very act of reading his works to the themes they convey. I think it's pretty safe to say that the "purposed domination of the author" that he dislikes about allegory is pretty close to what Sauron practices (in particular over the Nazgul); whereas the "freedom of the reader" that he associates with applicability is what the Free Peoples fight for!

The really brilliant thing that Tolkien himself points to is that if any one person attempts to claim that he or she has the one truth to 'explain' the novel, then this reader is no better than Sauron attempting to dominate all other opinions with his One Ring and overweening eye/I. Given this, if we are really to emulate Frodo, Aragorn, Sam (etc) we must resist the temptation to look to the author for the answers and struggle to find the freedom in the text that allows us to think/create for ourselves.

But this is where it gets sticky again: is our freedom to create wholly unrestricted? Can we 'make up' whatever we want about Middle-Earth or do we have to defer in some way to its 'Creator'? This is where the RPGs get so interesting, as we're always dancing on the edge of that particular knife! We have the freedom to do and say what we want with our characters. . .but only so much freedom, before a Mod will 'correct' us and bring us back in line with the 'rules' or 'truth' of Middle-Earth.

(Quick note to any and all Mods who may read this: love you guys all and the job that you do around here -- you present an interesting theoretical question, however, and are not being slagged in any way here!

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04-12-2004, 06:18 PM	#3
Fordim Hedgethistle Gibbering Gibbet Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Beyond cloud nine Posts: 1,844	Yes -- thanks for that quote Bethberry: it's always been one of my very favourite by Tolkien as it links the very act of reading his works to the themes they convey. I think it's pretty safe to say that the "purposed domination of the author" that he dislikes about allegory is pretty close to what Sauron practices (in particular over the Nazgul); whereas the "freedom of the reader" that he associates with applicability is what the Free Peoples fight for! The really brilliant thing that Tolkien himself points to is that if any one person attempts to claim that he or she has the one truth to 'explain' the novel, then this reader is no better than Sauron attempting to dominate all other opinions with his One Ring and overweening eye/I. Given this, if we are really to emulate Frodo, Aragorn, Sam (etc) we must resist the temptation to look to the author for the answers and struggle to find the freedom in the text that allows us to think/create for ourselves. But this is where it gets sticky again: is our freedom to create wholly unrestricted? Can we 'make up' whatever we want about Middle-Earth or do we have to defer in some way to its 'Creator'? This is where the RPGs get so interesting, as we're always dancing on the edge of that particular knife! We have the freedom to do and say what we want with our characters. . .but only so much freedom, before a Mod will 'correct' us and bring us back in line with the 'rules' or 'truth' of Middle-Earth. (Quick note to any and all Mods who may read this: love you guys all and the job that you do around here -- you present an interesting theoretical question, however, and are not being slagged in any way here! )