'The Lord of the Rings and Philosophy' - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

mark12_30 · 10-28-2003, 09:49 AM

Thanks, Lyta! Yes, "Frodo's Sacrifice" was one of the all-time great threads. (C7A rules!) It was that thread that *finally * reconciled me with his decision to sail west... which grieved me ever since my first reading at age 12, thirty years ago.

I hope he was happy and healed there. I can't imagine that he wasn't. "A purgatory and a reward", Tolkien called it; very Catholic. Although, considering his "Leaf By Niggle", Tolkien's view of purgatory was not the norm. I have to believe he meant Purgatory" in the sense of purification, and not of suffering-- Frodo had suffered enough!!! (I'm tempted to follow that with an entire paragraph of exclaimation points...)

His generosity and self-sacrifice for the good of the Shire and Middle Earth answers many questions about "morality". I heartily agree that the definition of morality must extend beyond the individual good, beyond the humanistic view.

10-28-2003, 09:49 AM	#11
mark12_30 Stormdancer of Doom Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Elvish singing is not a thing to miss, in June under the stars Posts: 4,349	Thanks, Lyta! Yes, "Frodo's Sacrifice" was one of the all-time great threads. (C7A rules!) It was that thread that finally reconciled me with his decision to sail west... which grieved me ever since my first reading at age 12, thirty years ago. I hope he was happy and healed there. I can't imagine that he wasn't. "A purgatory and a reward", Tolkien called it; very Catholic. Although, considering his "Leaf By Niggle", Tolkien's view of purgatory was not the norm. I have to believe he meant Purgatory" in the sense of purification, and not of suffering-- Frodo had suffered enough!!! (I'm tempted to follow that with an entire paragraph of exclaimation points...) His generosity and self-sacrifice for the good of the Shire and Middle Earth answers many questions about "morality". I heartily agree that the definition of morality must extend beyond the individual good, beyond the humanistic view. __________________ ...down to the water to see the elves dance and sing upon the midsummer's eve.