‘Canonicity’: the Book or the Reader?

[mark12_30]

Aiwendil,

There is a fundamental difference, I think, in the way that Faerie is viewed on which hinges all these discussions. I have shied away from it, but I think it is time to quote Tolkien. These quotes are both from On Fairy Stories; I had to scrounge for them online. Here goes.

“The consolation of fairy-stories, the joy of the happy ending: or more correctly
of the good catastrophe, the sudden joyous ‘turn’ (for there is no true end to any
fairy-tale): this joy, which is one of the things which fairy-stories can
produce supremely well, is not essentially ‘escapist’, or ‘fugitive’. In it’s
fairy-tale - or otherworld - setting, it is a sudden and miraculous grace:
never to be counted on to recur. "


“.. the ‘joy’ in successful Fantasy can thus be explained as a sudden glimpse
of the underlying reality of truth. It is not only a ‘consolation’ for the sorrow
of this world, but a satisfaction, and an answer to that question, ‘Is it true?’
…But in the ‘eucatastrophe’ we see in a brief vision that the answer may be
greater – it may be a far-off gleam or echo of evangelium in the real world.”

If one does not believe in absolute Truth, then the phrase " a sudden glimpse of the underlying reality of truth " is of little value, and hence the concept of "windows into Faerie" turns into something other than what Tolkien intended it to be and becomes amorphous indeed. in that case his definition is of little use.

If one believes in absolute Truth, one can accept Tolkien's definition as useful.

And there, I think, is the essential dividing line of this entire thread. Some do not believe in absolute Truth, and in that case, Tolkien's definition does not apply very well. Nor would Tolkien's story have a deep Truth to be revealed; everything becomes subjective and individualized. Others do believe in absolute Truth, and can accept Tolkien's definition of Faerie as a revelation of that truth, and see numerous demonstrations of Truth in each of his stories.

I doubt the two opposing views will come to agreement on that topic any time soon.