Numenor and America - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

symestreem · 07-04-2004, 12:03 PM

I think the similarities come from the fact that Tolkien was writing about history and life, and in history you can see certain trends. If a fictional history has any resemblance to real life, it will reflect some of these trends.
A well-known cycle of a nation's development lists eleven stages:
1. Bondage
2. Spiritual faith
3. Great courage
4. Liberty
5. Abundance
6. Selfishness
7. Complacency
8. Apathy
9. Moral decay
10. Dependence
11. Bondage

While not all these can be applied specifically to the Numenoreans, the point is that if a country or empire is not conquered from the outside, it will fall from the inside. Neither the Numenoreans were, nor has America been, conquered from the outside. Therefore, they both fell/are falling from the inside. It's part of history.

07-04-2004, 12:03 PM	#10
symestreem Face in the Water Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 728	I think the similarities come from the fact that Tolkien was writing about history and life, and in history you can see certain trends. If a fictional history has any resemblance to real life, it will reflect some of these trends. A well-known cycle of a nation's development lists eleven stages: 1. Bondage 2. Spiritual faith 3. Great courage 4. Liberty 5. Abundance 6. Selfishness 7. Complacency 8. Apathy 9. Moral decay 10. Dependence 11. Bondage While not all these can be applied specifically to the Numenoreans, the point is that if a country or empire is not conquered from the outside, it will fall from the inside. Neither the Numenoreans were, nor has America been, conquered from the outside. Therefore, they both fell/are falling from the inside. It's part of history.