Research paper on Tolkien

[The Telcontarion]

Originally Posted by Gordis

I think I was wrong in saying that you "misinterpreted" the theme of Death.

No, everything you said about Death was OK, but I think you should have said more. You narrowed the meaning referring only to many deaths described in the Silm, and leaving out the themes that Tolkien himself believed to be the most important: desire for immortality and desire for things unchanged.

Also I think that your article would have been better if it contained references to Letters where Tolkien himself explained his views.

Here are my two cents anyway.

I agree I should have had more quotes by Tolkien - though not necessary - and I could have said more about Tolkien's true meaning behind death in his writings(which you stated), that too however was not necessary for the purposes of the article.

The article was an argument for the influences of world war one on the writings of Tolkien, not an exploration on the meaning of tolkien's writings. So any "exploration" I did was solely to prove this point. I think this was achieved more than adequately.

Also given the nature of the article, I could only use so much reference from Tolkien himself before it became not credible. I had to use academic articles about the issue to give contemporary credibility to my arguements. So the focus was not so much what he had to say (though integral it was) but what other academics had to say also.