Who understands the meaning of the Hobbit? Or the Lord of the Rings?

Question

What does it mean to you? Besides Good and Evil?
Does the Forestry part and destruction denote to you our civilization today and the lack of agricultural common sense world wide? Very Curious?

This is not a political study what so ever, the curiousity is about what the irony is in all these stories, the fact that mankind holds his own fate, is the best answer so far.

Answer 1

There are LOTS of "meanings" in Tolkien's books. One of my favorites is his commentary on Art and Power. Look at how the "good" people use magic--primarily in the form of art, to craft beautiful things, to preserve the beauty of the world in places like Lothlorien and Rivendell... while the forces of evil use it only for power.

There are many people who try to argue that Tolkien was writing an allegory for World War II. Tolkien, in reality, hated the idea of allegory, and further remarked in one of his letters that if "The Lord of the Rings" was meant to be an allegory for World War II, then Gondor would have taken the Ring and used it as a weapon against Sauron.

Interesting thought, eh?

Answer 2

"This tale grew in the telling" as Tolkien said, and it as certainly not a straightforward "story with a message" and especially not ONE message, or an allegorical key.

There are lots of ideas to be found that can be picked up, and examined like gems, without taking them to be "the meaning of the book": friendship, heroism, temptation, corruption, endurance...
One of the most positive is the virtues of the ordinary.
In the midst of the greatest deeds, the stolid, reliable, unremarkable values of the hobbits count for a great deal.

One theme of Tolkien's that is not picked up enough is that opposing evil costs. The whole of the Lord of the Rings is set in a ruined landscape, with the remnants of greater glory (even more so when you include the Silmarillion) Arnor in the north fell long ago.
Gondor is well past its glory, its capital Osgiliath being a contested ruin. Moria is no more. The Elves are withdrawn into isolated strongholds, The great woods themselves are not what they were*.
What will you do, when ruin has come, and more still threatens?

*note that this is as much the folly and aging of the tree folk, Ents and Huorns, as the more recent ravages of Orcs. The ruining of Isengard was a small thing, in context.

Answer 3

If the "forestry" part has a singular meaning, then please tell me how Mirkwood relates to LothLorien?

It is a epic story in the old style with the basic challenges of life played over and over to the tune of faith in the good.

While Tolkien is an amazing author and his symbolism runs deep, you are barking up the wrong tree with looking for policy or political information in these books.

Remember that Tolkien's good friend was C. S. Lewis, another of my favorites. Have you read the Narnia books? Or the Trilogy, "Out of the Silent Planet", "Perelandra" and "That Hideous Strength"?

Answer 4

Tolkien wrote these based on mythologies of Europe. As in all mythologies, it is about the balance of good and evil, mans place in the world, and how man can choose his path by overcoming the gods. Btw, 4 gods appeared in The Lord of the Rings, if you read the Silmarillian you will understand that Sauron, Sarumon, Gandalf, and the Baelrog were meant to represent gods or angels/demons.

Answer 5

The lowliest one of us may hold the key to the fate of the most mightly of us. The hobbits are considered threats to no one in the series, yet it is a hobbit who brings down all of the Armies of Morador. Anouther meaning inside the series is that their is a strength inside of each of us if we only believe in ourself.

Answer 6

How about that man's fate rests in his own hands?

Answer 7

Greed is destructive.