Some people think that J. R. R. Tolkien’s works are just another story, but there is so much more to The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and others than meets the eye. J. R. R. Tolkien’s works have a rich culture and language behind them strongly influenced by the events of the times. World War I and the people Tolkien met at schools throughout his life were crucial in shaping his writing. The most significant influence on Tolkien’s works were the things he experienced in World War I.
World War I was a tremendous influence on many parts of Tolkien’s writing, including the characters. Similar to the soldiers who fought in WWI, Tolkien’s hobbits go to war “against terrible odds” because they …show more content…
In 1909, Tolkien fell in love with Edith Bratt, an orphan like himself. She later inspired Lúthien Tinúviel, one of Tolkien’s elves. (“Tolkien, J. R. R..” 831) Tolkien wrote The Lay of Leithien about her, and put himself in the story as Beren. Tolkien “borrowed aspects of custom, society, character, and speech” from the English people in Sarehole, where he grew up (Garth 307). Tolkien intended for his hobbits to be reminiscent of an average British citizen, unlike some of his other races. Tolkien based many parts of his stories off of his real life …show more content…
The TCBS held a meeting in 1916, when they were expecting to be sent off to war, and pledged to support each other. Similarly, the Fellowship of the Ring promise to help and protect one another, even if it would cost them their lives. (Loconte 176) The TCBS was almost a real life Fellowship to Tolkien. They supported him as he came up with vague ideas for stories. Tolkien wrote “The Book of Lost Tales” shortly after the war, when most of the members of the TCBS had been killed, and he had a responsibility to his friends to complete the mythology they had been so invested in (Garth 254). The members of the TCBS had encouraged him to move forward with his stories, and now that most of them were gone, he felt he had to go through with it to honor their memories. The TCBS was one group that left an impact on Tolkien and his