Literary Essay Sample on a Trilogy The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien

A famous fantasy book series The Lord of the Rings created by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien is not just a couple of stories which have something in common, that is a whole story divided into three novels. One of the most designing aspects of the J. R. R. Tolkiens trilogy The Lord of the Rings is the symbolic meaning of the races in his epic fantasy story. In this story, races symbolize nationalities. They are various, but, they made an alliance to fight the invaders.

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In spite of the differences between them, people, elves, and dwarfs reunited to save their lands. In Tolkiens world, each race has its own territory, the land where they predominantly live. These territories are described like countries with their own rulers and laws. Every territory of the one nationality has the ruler. For example, elves have rulers in each of their forests: in Lothlorien co-rules Galadriel and Celeborn; Rivendell also has its lord called Elrond, in Northern Mirkwood the Silvan Elves have a King Thranduil. People also have some rulers in their lands: in the city of Gondor, they have a Steward named Denethor; the ruler of Rohan is a King Theoden. Dwarfs have their own rulers in their mountain towns. When the danger appeared, all the rulers made a counsel, where they reunited in the struggle with Orcs and their king - Dark Lord Sauron. This alliance made from the ambassadors of the rulers, heir of a king dead long ago, and some hobbits accidentally being a party to this quest. This fellowship had to help the armies to protect their lands destroying Sauron.

Although the fellowship of the Ring is multinational, there is no race prejudice among the participants. During their long journey, all of them become friends. It should be noted that, in Tolkiens world, each race has its own features, and some of these features, the others associate with race. For example, Elves are associated as wise and cold; dwarfs as grafters, short but strong and possessing great powers of endurance; hobbits are usually imagined as inactive nationality, interested only in farming and food, people are strong but inclined to make hasty decisions (as Elves things). The relationships between races are vividly described through the Legolas and Gimli, making jokes at each others racial features, but being good friends at the same time. This element of the plot underlined by the fact that all the characters are round. They all have a combination of qualities, not just only good, but they use their negative qualities for good. So the jokes of Elf and Dwarf show the stereotypes about their races and the friendship between them. The unity and friendship between races are shown in episodes such as an episode when the fellowship entered the Mines of Moria. When Gimli found out that his relatives who lived here and other dwarfs are dead, everybody encouraged him and grieved for the killed.

Speaking about the orcs, to make them a symbol of evil, the author described them as barbarians. They are ugly, bloodthirsty, but they also have some positive qualities, they are devoted to their master and fearless. The greatest example of this statement is the Orcs of Saruman, who are devoted to their creator and didnt break his order to keep the captives alive when they captured hobbits. Orcs wanted to kill them, but the order and their commander stopped the evil creatures. Doubtless, that the other races prejudice to orcs, not only for their features. For the other nationalities, Orcs are invaders under the command of the Dark Lord Sauron and his accomplices.

The arguments presented in this essay suggest that there is no place to race prejudice in Tolkiens world. The author describes the unity of nations at wartime. The races of this fantasy world united in a struggle against evil invaders and together saved their lands. So, the fellowship of the ring symbolizes the unity of nationalities in a struggle against the evil.