J. R. R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings - Frodo Baggins as a Christ-Fi

J. R. R. Tolkiens The passe-partout of the Rings - Frodo Baggins as a Christ-Figure J. R. R. Tolkiens The superior of the Rings has delighted readers goofce its publication owing to its authors skillful development of his baseless realm and its inhabitants adventures on that pointin. In fact, Tolkien is rightly regarded as the father of the modern fantasy genre, and it often seems all fantasy imitates his work in some way. However, as readers return to the work, it often becomes apparent that the work is more than a transparent escapist journey into an imaginary world the work represents the finest traditions in lit and rich grounding in Tolkiens study of language and mythology. Equally surprising, though, Tolkien himself admits that the series is a fundamentally religious and Catholic work1 To the casual reader, Middle-Earth, the setting, seems a world devoid of religious practice, Christian or otherwise. Unsurprisingly, Tolkien added that the religious expression ab out which he spoke appeared unconsciously so at first, scarcely consciously in the revision, and that the religious element is absorbed into the story and the symbolism.2 Therefore, an probe into probable sources of Christian symbolism leads to questions of characterization and its most obvious station Frodo Baggins, a Christ- paradigm.The protagonist of the story, Frodo Baggins is a Hobbit, a small humanoid creature, hornswoggle in stature and big in appetite. As soon as Tolkien introduces him in the first chapter, Frodos status as a Christ figure emerges Anyway there was this Mr. Frodo left an orphan and stranded, gossip Frodos new neighbors when his uncle Bilbo adopts the him.3 immediately, Frodo possesses twain important characteristic of any Christ ... ...ery land of Mordor, conquering an deplorable which seems far greater than himself. In doing so, Frodo makes up for carelessness of the nations of Middle-Earth who in their acedia allowed the evil to rise up, despi te forewarning of the danger. In all these things, there exist clear similarities with Christ who undertakes a similar goal, vanquishing the evil of sin from the world with total selflessness, compassion, and determination. In the end, Frodo admits admirably, I tried to save the Shire, and it has been protected.61 Tolkien, J.R.R.. To Robert Murray, S.J. 2 December 1953. The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien. Ed. Humphrey Carpenter and Christopher Tolkien (Houghton Mifflin Company Boston, 1981) 172.2 Ibid.3 Tolkien, J.R.R.. The Lord of the Rings (Houghton Mifflin Company Boston, 1954) 31.4 Ibid, 217.5 Ibid, 309.6 Ibid, 309.