Tolkien and Parody

[Estelyn Telcontar]

I've been thinking, not for the first time, about the similarity between parody and the art form which I actively (sub)create, patchwork. The thought came up in this discussion that parody is "easy" to do, since one works with existing material. Well, the same could be said of patchwork, and has, in the past. How silly to cut up a perfectly good fabric and sew the pieces together again! But the art is in the choice of the fabrics and colors, and in the pattern and arrangement of the pieces. Nowadays, antique quilts are prized collector's items, and new quilts and patchworks are recognized as art.

Cannot the same be true of parody? It is in the choice and combination of elements, the quality of writing that goes into a work of parody, that the skill (or lack of the same! ) of its author is shown. A good parody can bring references to highly varying previous works (and other elements) together and make us see them in a new light.

As a matter of fact, I'm discovering that in a completely different type of parody - a classical music parody! (P. D. Q. Bach, for those who are familiar with 'him' ) After hearing the first movement of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony as a sportscast, (two elements that one would never associate with each other!) I'll never hear that piece the same way again! But that is not quite related to our discussion...

If a well-written parody can make me see Tolkien's works in a new and fresh light, isn't it worthwhile?!