Fantasy, in comparison to a lot of other genres of literature, takes a great deal of work. It requires the creator to build a world from the ground up and make it believable. The Lord of the Rings is a shining example of a fantasy world done right, with Tolkien’s fantastic setting and characters. However, what is most intriguing about the world that Tolkien has created is not the many fantastic races he created. What is fascinating is how he wrote the race that the reader is most familiar with, humanity. This essay will tackle the ways in which Tolkien’s humans stood out from their fantasy counterparts. The humans in Middle Earth are different from the other free races because of their defined hierarchy, the diversity among them and their desire
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While the the other races of Middle Earth tend to be fairly homogeneous, the humans show a great deal of difference between them. All elves share a connection with nature and are immortal, while dwarfs all have a love of the earth and precious stones, and Hobbits all seem to have a very down to earth demeanor and and little ambition for power. Humans on the other hand seem to have greater divergence. As pointed out earlier, there are different classes of Men and each one is distinct. The people of Gondor appear to be the most cut off from nature in comparison to other men. That is not to say they have no connection. their symbol is a white tree and the book mentions that there are homesteads and herdsmen within Gondor (Tolkien “Minas Tirith”). However, in comparison to the Rohirrim and the Wild Men they do not seem to have the same connection to the land in which they inhabit. The Rohirrim have their obvious connection with horses as evident from their first appearance in which Tolkien writes, “ With astonishing speed and skill they checked their steeds, wheeled, and came charging round” (Tolkien, “The Riders of Rohan”). Not to mention that one of the main reasons King Théoden is not pleased at Gandalf's arrival in Rohan is the fact that he took the Lord of Horses, Shadowfax (Tolkien, “The King of the Golden Hall”). Interestingly, it is the Wild Man, the people at the bottom of the …show more content…
It has been argued that Man’s lust for power is one of the traits that sets them apart from the other races but that is not entirely true. If humans were truly the only people who desired power than the ring would have no effect on any of the other free-peoples of Middle Earth. However it clearly does, seeing as how many characters are tempted to use the ring for their own selfish reasons. Power does not necessarily mean power over others, as it is defined as, “ability to do or act; capability of doing or accomplishing something” (Dictionary.com). There are certain kinds of power though, and the one that Man seems to desire is authority, which is defined as, “the power to determine, adjudicate, or otherwise settle issues or disputes; jurisdiction; the right to control, command, or determine” (Dictionary.com). This desire to command others seems unique to Man. When Boromir is tempted by the ring he tells Frodo, “What could not a warrior do in this hour, a great leader? What could not Aragorn do? Or if he refuses, why not Boromir? The Ring would give me power of Command.” In his speech, command is capitalized, showing its importance (Tolkien, “The Breaking of the Fellowship”). This is a very different temptation in comparison to when Galadriel is tested. When she talks about it she compares herself to forces of nature, and ends with that chilling line, “All shall love
While the the other races of Middle Earth tend to be fairly homogeneous, the humans show a great deal of difference between them. All elves share a connection with nature and are immortal, while dwarfs all have a love of the earth and precious stones, and Hobbits all seem to have a very down to earth demeanor and and little ambition for power. Humans on the other hand seem to have greater divergence. As pointed out earlier, there are different classes of Men and each one is distinct. The people of Gondor appear to be the most cut off from nature in comparison to other men. That is not to say they have no connection. their symbol is a white tree and the book mentions that there are homesteads and herdsmen within Gondor (Tolkien “Minas Tirith”). However, in comparison to the Rohirrim and the Wild Men they do not seem to have the same connection to the land in which they inhabit. The Rohirrim have their obvious connection with horses as evident from their first appearance in which Tolkien writes, “ With astonishing speed and skill they checked their steeds, wheeled, and came charging round” (Tolkien, “The Riders of Rohan”). Not to mention that one of the main reasons King Théoden is not pleased at Gandalf's arrival in Rohan is the fact that he took the Lord of Horses, Shadowfax (Tolkien, “The King of the Golden Hall”). Interestingly, it is the Wild Man, the people at the bottom of the …show more content…
It has been argued that Man’s lust for power is one of the traits that sets them apart from the other races but that is not entirely true. If humans were truly the only people who desired power than the ring would have no effect on any of the other free-peoples of Middle Earth. However it clearly does, seeing as how many characters are tempted to use the ring for their own selfish reasons. Power does not necessarily mean power over others, as it is defined as, “ability to do or act; capability of doing or accomplishing something” (Dictionary.com). There are certain kinds of power though, and the one that Man seems to desire is authority, which is defined as, “the power to determine, adjudicate, or otherwise settle issues or disputes; jurisdiction; the right to control, command, or determine” (Dictionary.com). This desire to command others seems unique to Man. When Boromir is tempted by the ring he tells Frodo, “What could not a warrior do in this hour, a great leader? What could not Aragorn do? Or if he refuses, why not Boromir? The Ring would give me power of Command.” In his speech, command is capitalized, showing its importance (Tolkien, “The Breaking of the Fellowship”). This is a very different temptation in comparison to when Galadriel is tested. When she talks about it she compares herself to forces of nature, and ends with that chilling line, “All shall love