The Lord of the Rings

The One Ring to rule them all

Thought-paper on

J. R.R. Tolkien's

The Lord of the Rings

By

Francis Byron P. Abao

97-06526

English 146

Inst. Emil Flores

Department of English and Comparative Literature

University of the Philippines

Diliman, Quezon City.

Submitted on

October 14, 2002.

The One Ring to rule them all

The Lord of the Rings is a three part epic fantasy by J.R.R. Tolkien about the struggle to destroy the One Ring of Power. Published in 1954, the work remains as relevant today as ever, when the question of power and its consequences is concerned. In fact, the work reached the height of its influence in the antiwar protests of the 1960s, where it was a main source of inspiration for activists. Part of the reason for its enduring appeal may be that it resists any one to one correspondence of symbolism and meaning. And so, people are drawn into endless debate and speculation as to what Tolkien 'really' meant by his story. If Tolkien had cast his work into a form that was more easily interpreted, if he had been more dogmatic and called it 'The Use and Misuse of Power,' for example, he would perhaps have been less effective and influential. This is because dogmas easily attract fanatics and people who want ready made answers, but disenchant those who are inclined to a more liberal, questioning approach toward life. Tolkien's work, fortunately, was not designed to be anything as overtly political as Marx's 'Communist Manifesto.' It is a work of fantasy-literature, a combination which makes it hard for conservatives of the literary or political sphere to consider it seriously as purely a work of literature or political dogma. Nonetheless, it undoubtedly has something to say about the connection between politics, morality, and it says this in an imaginative medium: fantasy.

Despite the fact that we may never know what Tolkien meant, we can always ask(and answer, to an extent) what Tolkien means for me---as a reader, as an individual. If the work endures to this day, it must be because it concerns questions that many people have found to be relevant and enduring.

One such question for me is the question of the use of power and its consequences. What was the story about? How did it address this concern? It was about a Dark Lord, named Sauron--an evil sorcerer-king who had made rings of power to enslave the free peoples of Middle Earth. To the rulers of the three races (elves, dwarves, and men) Sauron gave the rings as gifts. The fourth race of Middle Earth, the hobbits, was perhaps too small and inconsequential for him. In secrecy, Sauron forged the One Ring---a master ring that would rule all the other rings and bring their wearers under the domination of Sauron himself. It was the One Ring that would grant absolute power. But, as the story goes, Sauron's plan was discovered before he could complete it, and the other races (the elves and dwarves) resisted him. Men were more easily corrupted by the rings,and the rulers of men at that time became Ringwraiths, the most powerful and fearsome of Sauron's servants. Then there was a great war, for the freedom of Middle Earth, a last alliance of men and elves (and dwarves, and all who resisted Sauron). In that war, the leader of men named Isildur managed to sever Sauron's hand, cutting off the connection between Sauron and his One Ring. The effect was that Sauron's physical form was destroyed, his spirit fled elsewhere, and his armies crumbled. In that moment of victory, Isildur had the chance to destroy the One Ring forever, by throwing it into the flames of Mount Doom where it had been created. He refused. Isildur claimed the One Ring as his by right, and departed, much to the dismay of the elves and all the others. But the Ring eventually betrayed Isildur, and was lost for a long time, until it became almost a mere legend.

But all this is merely a prologue to what happens in The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien is describing the history of the One Ring and its effects on others. In the words of Isaac Asimov, an excellent science fiction writer, the One Ring

"...controls unlimited power and inspires infinite desire even though it is infinitely corrupting. Those who wear it are weighed down by it and tortured, but they can't let it go, though it erodes them, body and soul. Gandalf, who is the best and strongest of the characters in the book who fight for the Good, won't touch it, for he fears it will corrupt even him."

(Asimov 49)

Because of the very nature of the One Ring, it cannot be wielded by any being for very long without that person or creature becoming enslaved by it. Neither can it be destroyed by any means( normal or magical) other than the way it was created---by casting it into the fires of Mount Doom. But this mountain, this volcano lies in the heart of Sauron's domain, and can only be reached by secrecy and by overcoming the temptation to use the Ring. However, since the Ring was lost, there was no need to destroy it. Until the Shadow (as Sauron's spirit was called) returned, and began to build a new army of darkness.

This is the crucial point from which the Lord of the Rings begins. Not only has the Dark Lord returned, to enslave the people of Middle Earth once more, but more importantly---the One Ring has been found. It lies in the hands of a hobbit---a small and insignificant creature, in Sauron's estimation of things---and it is this hobbit, Frodo, who will affect the fates of so many others by his actions.

Due to the nature of the One Ring, the quest to deal with it is no ordinary quest. Once more, the races of Middle Earth were assembled at the Council of Elrond to decide what to do with the One Ring. Boromir, spoke for the men of Gondor( the people whose valor has kept Sauron's forces at bay) and argued that the One Ring is a gift that must be used against the Enemy. Others disagreed with him, believing that the only way to defeat the Enemy is to destroy the One Ring. But no