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A HEROISM FOR OUR TIMES: ON HOPE AND COURAGE IN TOLKIEN’S MIDDLE-EARTH
A HEROISM FOR OUR TIMES:
ON HOPE AND COURAGE IN TOLKIEN’S
In a world of darkness, heroism often comes from the strangest places. JRR Tolkien infused his everyday heroes with faith, hope and determination in the face of insurmountable odds.
BY JAMES COOPER
Long before he set foot on the battlefields of WWI, the creator of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings had acquired a profound sense of the nature and importance of heroic “courage under fire”. The classical, Norse and medieval literature that fed his childhood imagination (and that inspired his professional devotion to language and mythology) all sprang from cultures in which the warrior hero was a central figure. But while many emerged from the ashes of the Great War understandably embittered and incurably cynical towards the traditions and institutions of the past—including the seemingly outdated notion of heroic virtue and the institution of the church—JRR Tolkien’s wartime experience helped inspire a lifelong commitment to re-imagining and re-commending the ideals of the “heroic quest”.
a better hero
But why was Tolkien’s faith in heroism not obliterated by the Great War—a conflict that nearly cost him his life during the Battle of the Somme, killed nearly all of his closest friends and ultimately left millions dead or scarred for life? The reasons are complex, but there is something to be said for the particular notion of heroism Tolkien encountered in medieval literature. When we think of what it means to be a hero, we might imagine such qualities as physical strength, skill in battle and of course courage in the face of terrible danger. Like the superheros of today’s popular culture, many of the heroes
from the ancient world succeeded owing to their superhuman power and ingenuity. However, in the early Anglo-Saxon stories of the medieval period, this “self-sufficient hero” came into contact with the Christian gospel for the first time and was dramatically transformed.
The central Hero of the Christian story is Jesus, whose power, paradoxically, is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9), and whose heroism is most fully realised in His obedience to the will of His Heavenly Father, even to death on a cross (Philippians 2:8). Through human eyes, Christ’s victory on the cross appears a total disaster—the worst of all ends visited upon the best of all men. But this inversion of human heroism reveals a larger story, a cosmic theo-drama into which all are invited and equipped to take part. That, of course, is the message of the gospel and the mission of the church—a call to adventure that affirms the heroic quest as found (in one form or another) in practically every culture, while dramatically amplifying its significance and reconfiguring what true heroism amounts to. Such a Christianised heroism is clearly on display in Tolkien’s writing.
an ordinary hero
Heroes abound in Middle-earth. But one of the most striking features of Tolkien’s epic fantasy is the figure of the ordinary hero—characters whose heroism, while vital to the outcome of the story, doesn’t stem from physical strength or ingenuity. Even those characters who are skilled with the sword are at their most heroic when they are brought low, having to trust others less powerful than themselves, and to the higher purpose to which they’ve been called. Time and again, the hero’s power falters, the odds stacked so heavily against him that all hope seems lost. The temptation to despair is overwhelming. But it is precisely at this moment that a new kind of heroism kicks in.
The best examples of such “ordinary heroes” are Tolkien’s hobbits, especially Frodo Baggins and his faithful companion Samwise Gamgee. Hobbits know more of the pumpkin patch than the battlefield and aspire to little beyond the domestic comfort of the Shire. Yet, Tolkien assures us, “There is a seed of courage hidden (often deeply, it is true) in the heart of the fattest and most timid hobbit,
There is a seed of courage hidden (often deeply, it is true) in the heart of the fattest and most timid hobbit, waiting for some final and desperate danger to make it grow . . .
waiting for some final and desperate danger to make it grow . . .” Tolkien was inspired in this regard by the many men of humble standing he fought alongside in the trenches, writing: “My ‘Sam Gamgee’ is indeed a reflection of the English soldier, of the privates and batmen I knew in the 1914 war, and recognised as so far superior to myself.”
Like the humble soldiers, Sam and Frodo face increasing danger on their quest. However, it is in the middle of overwhelming danger that they come to rely, not on their natural strength and courage, but on each other and on the rightness of the task to which they’ve committed. Approaching Mount Doom, staring down death and defeat, everything non-essential to their quest seems to fall away, affording Sam a renewed glimpse of his mission, and an unexpected resolve:
“So that was the job I felt I had to do when I started,” thought Sam; “to help Mr Frodo to the last step and then die with him? Well, if that is the job then I must do it.” . . . But even as hope died in Sam, or seemed to die, it was turned into a new strength. Sam's plain hobbit-face grew stern, almost grim, as the will hardened in him, and he felt through all his limbs a thrill, as if he was turning into some creature of stone and steel that neither despair nor weariness nor endless barren miles could subdue.
Tolkien’s more obvious heroes—like Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas—also come to rely on this strange brand of courage born of the desperate situation. Once Frodo and Sam become separated from the Fellowship, their fate remains hidden so that no-one knows if all hope is lost. Their companions are left “fighting blind” and frighteningly outnumbered. Not surprisingly, as hope fades, temptations arise—the temptation to despair, to fight for self-preservation or one’s people alone or to take possession of the ring and trust in its treacherous power. Some lose hope. But those
who stay true to the quest are afforded hope when all hope seems lost. Not all live to see the final victory, yet those who fall for the sake of the quest are held in the highest esteem of all.
There is something deeply moving about the heroism of Middle-earth. Historian Joseph Loconte 1 suggests this is because, “The heroes of these stories are vulnerable to temptation and corruption, while the antagonists are almost never beyond redemption.”1 This not only makes Tolkien’s heroes relatable; it also infuses the drama with a quality of hope that satisfies deeply because it rings true. It might seem odd to suggest that such a fantastical work has proved so successful because of its realism, but there is a sense in which this is true. Concerning Tolkien (and his fellow fantasy writer, colleague and WWI veteran, CS Lewis), Loconte writes:
Tolkien and Lewis were attracted to the genres of myth and romance not because they sought to escape the world, but because for them the real
world had a mythic and heroic quality. The world is the setting for great conflicts and great quests: it creates scenes of remorseless violence, grief and suffering, as well as deep compassion, courage, and selfless sacrifice . . . Their depictions of the struggles of Middle-earth and Narnia do not represent a flight from reality, but rather a return to a more realistic view of the world as we actually find it.
In Tolkien’s world, like our own, the hero’s strength, courage and ultimate success pertains to something not of their own making. The horrors of the Great War led many to doubt and despair. But for Tolkien, the tragedy of the war helped reinforce his belief that the courage, sacrifice and friendships that made it endurable, point beyond themselves to a source of goodness we cannot do without, and which often serves to highlight the folly of worldly
ambitions that lead to war. As philosopher Peter Kreeft2 points out:
The hero cannot, by his own efforts, prevail in the struggle against evil. The forces arrayed against him, as well as the weakness within him, make victory impossible. The tragic nature of his quest begins to dawn on him, to oppress him, until the moment when failure seems inevitable . . .
Frodo’s defeat—our defeat—is overturned by a Power stronger than our weakness. Tolkien identified this Power as “that one ever-present Person who is never absent and never named”.2
Like the hero of the medieval quests that shaped his imagination— and resonated powerfully with his Christian faith—the true heroes of Tolkien’s Middle-earth are those whose hope is grounded not in the principalities and powers of this world, but in the One to whose glory all earthly goodness attests. What else could be meant by the following lines, in which the hope and courage of ordinary hero Samwise Gamgee are so beautifully conveyed?
There, peeping among the cloudwrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.
James Cooper is coordinator of creative writing and communication at Adelaide’s Tabor College. He is also senior editor of inScribe journal and has published numerous poems and stories locally and overseas. James’ first novel, Something About Alaska, written for young adults, will be published in September 2022. He lives with his wife and two sons in the Adelaide Hills.
1. A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War: How J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Rediscovered Faith, Friendship, and Heroism in the Cataclysm of 1914-1918 (Thomas Nelson, 2017)
2. The Philosophy of Tolkien: The Worldview Behind The Lord of the Rings (Ignatius Press, 2005)
How are you… REALLY?
If someone asked "How are you?" would you be able to respond honestly?
BY ZANITA FLETCHER
Let me ask you a question: if a friend of yours or I were to stand in front of you today and ask, “Are you OK?” how would you respond? Could you, or would you, share how you really are?
As a society, we seem to be becoming more and more aware of the mental health crisis we are in. On September 8, Australia and New Zealand has a National Day of Action where they are encouraged to ask someone, “R U OK?” Though it’s somewhat disappointing that we need an allocated day of the year to remind us to check in on our loved
ones, it is a step in the right direction. We are, at least, becoming more and more attuned and attentive to one other.
We might not ask “R U OK?” every day in the way September 8 encourages. But a simple way to rephrase this question is, “How are you?”—and that, we hear many times a day.
“How are you?” is a phrase we reflexively say after or even instead of “hello”. When said, we often don’t think about the depth the question invites, nor do we ask it expecting a litany of one’s woes.
Have you ever been on a walk and had someone say with a little nod of the head, “How ya goin?” and then pass on by before you had the time to respond? Have you ever had the audacity to respond honestly to a cashier’s polite, “Hi, how are you today?” and when you answered, they fumbled for words, avoided eye contact and hurried your items into their bags.
Though the intentions behind this question are good, the response usually does not depict how we really are. There are a few reasons for this. One is that we simply don’t know how to answer it. Many of us struggle to identify or explain what we’re feeling, either because we don’t take the time to check in with ourselves, or because we find our emotions too overwhelming. We distract ourselves to the point that we avoid dealing with anything difficult (even when our lives would greatly benefit by facing reality). Some of us have been told that emotions are bad or perceive them as a weakness. So, we have gotten in the habit of responding, “Yeah, good. Been busy! Fine thanks, and you?”—an answer that often isn’t accurate and that doesn’t give much insight—certainly not enough for people to be able to support us.
Stoic philosophers used to argue that emotions did nothing but interfere with sound judgement and rational thought. “Feelings are fickle,” they would say. What they failed to take into consideration is that emotions are a form of useful information. They tell us what’s going on inside us in response to what is happening in our lives. They help us understand why we might be feeling a certain way.
We might think we’re being strong, wise, responsible individuals when we ignore the mix of uncomfortable things stirring inside us—but the opposite is true. There is a high cost to avoiding our emotions. Studies show that when we do this, our stress increases, we are prone to agitation, we become disconnected from each other and our physical health suffers. Marc Brackett, psychologist and director of the Yale Centre for Emotional Intelligence, says our emotions are linked to physiological parts in our brains that release hormones and chemicals that affect our overall physical health. It’s all connected. The irony of avoiding or suppressing our emotions is that they become stronger. Brackett says, “The really powerful emotions build up inside us, like a dark force that inevitably poisons everything we do, whether we like it or not. Hurt feelings don’t vanish on their own. They don’t heal themselves. If we don’t express our emotions, they pile up like a debt that will eventually come due.”
The good news is that growing in our awareness of our emotions and our ability to express them is a skill we can constantly be growing in so that they don’t rule us. Here are some ways forward:
stop and get curious
Take the time to stop and check in with yourself, as often as once a day. We experience many emotions throughout a single day, often going from one to the next without much consideration. Get into the routine of digging deeper with one of the many things that deserve your attention—the good, the bad, the in-between. Ask yourself the following questions: How am I feeling? What is the issue? What is coming up here? Did something happen to cause me to feel this way? How is my body feeling? Am I experiencing any tension, shaking or an increased heart rate? Am I finding it hard to concentrate? expand your vocabulary:
Research professor, lecturer and author of Atlas of the Heart Brené Brown explains that language gives us the power of understanding and meaning. She says, “Language is our portal to meaning-making, connection, healing, learning and self-awareness. When we don’t have the language to talk about what we’re experiencing, our ability to make sense of what’s happening and share it with others is severely limited. Without accurate language, we struggle to get the help we need, we don’t always regulate or manage our emotions and experiences in a way that allows us to move through them productively.”
If you’re finding it hard to describe what you’re feeling, look up a list
of emotions online. It can help to point you to the ones that resonate when you’re struggling to identify them on your own. Try to come up with three words that describe how you’re feeling and take a moment to expand on them. Labelling your emotions with words will increase your self-awareness and help you to communicate them more effectively to others.
write it out
The act of writing is filled with therapeutic benefits. Psychologist and author James Pennebaker has done more than 40 years of research into the links between writing and emotional processing. His research found that people who write about their emotions improved in their physical and mental wellbeing, got more insight with time, and saw improvements in their relationships1. You don’t have to write pages of beautifully written prose and there’s many ways to go about it: Put a timer on for five minutes and write about the thoughts you’re having. For example, maybe you’re thinking, I can’t believe they said that! or What did I do to deserve this? or Nobody is doing anything! Write how this is causing you to behave. Are you isolating from people, getting aggressive, checking out by scrolling on your phone? Label your emotions on a scale from 1–10. How deeply are you feeling them? Expand on the words you chose
from a list of feelings and how they relate to the internal and external things happening in your life. Write a description of the sensations you are feeling in your body and see if you can connect them to your emotions. If you have something you want to say to someone, write a letter without the intention of sending it.
talk it out
Have you ever felt better after sharing with a close friend something you are struggling with? The circumstance itself hasn’t changed, your friend might have done nothing but listen, though it feels like a giant weight has been lifted? Discussing our emotions with a trusted friend, family member or mentor is hugely beneficial. It provides perspective, can help us see things differently, reduces our stress, and makes us feel heard and seen. Many people find comfort in expressing their feelings to God. In the Bible we see people doing this through writing, singing and speaking. Even talking to yourself can be helpful. If you’re overwhelmed by what emotions are coming up for you and need extra guidance, reach out to a professional counsellor or psychologist.
Our emotions reveal what our hearts love, trust and fear. Stifling them is hazardous to all areas of our growth: spiritual, mental, physical and relational. When we learn to identify and express them, we can use even the most difficult ones to create positive and satisfying lives. In doing so, “[we] find a universe of new choices and second chances—a universe where we can share the stories of our bravest and most heartbreaking moments with each other in a way that builds connection”, writes Brené Brown.
In light of “R U OK Day”, I invite you to ask yourself first, with the same amount of curiosity and compassion you might ask someone you care about: How are you, really?
Zanita Fletcher is a life coach, writer and assistant editor for Signs of the Times magazine. She writes from the Gold Coast, Queensland. 1. Pennebaker, J. (2016). Opening Up by Writing It Down: How Expressive Writing Improves Health and Eases Emotional Pain. New York, The Guilford Press.
