Science Fiction & Fantasy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Science Fiction & Fantasy - Essay Example Still others have pointed to Tolkien’s wonderfully descriptive term ‘eucatastrophe’ as a means of both describing the ending of the tale as well as to highlight a theme that runs throughout the novel. Political concepts related to the novel have abounded, including everything from an examination of the relationship of steward/king to kingdom and an analogy drawn between the events of the trilogy and the personalities of Joseph Stalin and the West. While this tendency to analyze the work from such isolated viewpoints reveals a wealth of detailed information, the practice also promotes a sense that that trilogy is little more than a pastiche of fragments. However, each of these elements – religion, environment, ‘eucatastrophe’ and the political question of a king vs. a steward – can be seen to provide an important detail that contributes to the cohesiveness of the work as a whole. The overall Christian concept of original sin and the fall of man, especially as it is emphasized within the Catholic tradition, is first suggested in the greater ability of the race of hobbits to resist the pull of the One Ring over that of the humans, who have presumably already fallen out of the Garden of Eden and therefore have already demonstrated a greater susceptibility to evil. This is primarily shown through the quick seduction of Isildur and then Boromir by the ring versus the slow working of it upon Frodo and even Bilbo. However, the hobbits remain connected, however distantly, with humans and are susceptible to the ring if exposed to it for long periods of time, which is exemplified in the Gollum and traced through the effect seen on even good hobbits such as Bilbo and Frodo Baggins. The idea that mankind has fallen is also illustrated in the near-collapsed state of Gondor, a once-great nation, as well as the sad state of affairs to be found in Rohan. The nations of men are about to collapse