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J. R. R. Tolkien's Influence On The Hobbit

Decent Essays

The Hobbit, written by J.R.R. Tolkien, is a children’s fantasy novel (though the series The Lord of the Rings that followed its story was more tuned to adults) that was first published in 1937. When it was first released, it received critical acclaim from millions of readers, and it was eventually nominated for the Carnegie Medal and won “Best Juvenile Fiction” from the New York Herald Tribune. However, despite its success, the most enduring trait of the novel is its connection with readers throughout generations that has inspired countless authors and readers. Most people know the story of The Hobbit, so in this essay, we will explore the creation of this beloved literary work.

Tolkien was an academic, being a professor at Pembroke College …show more content…

William Morris, who was a 19th-century English poet, translator, and creative genius, was a significant figure to Tolkien. In fact, Tolkien desired to write more in Morris’ romantic style. In particular, a chapter named The Desolation of Smaug was directly influenced by Morris’ style and ideas (The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien). Another writer that left an impression on Tolkien was Samuel Rutherford Crockett. His historical novel The Black Douglas and its villain Gilles de Retz inspired The Hobbit‘s evil character Sauron. It is said the narrative style and even the events in both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings were influenced by The Black Douglas (Lobdell, Jared C.). The goblins within The Hobbit are closely associated with the goblins in the novel The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald. In addition, MacDonald impressed upon Tolkien the role of fantasy in the context of Christianity (J. R. R. Tolkien Encyclopedia: Scholarship and Critical Assessment). Another key influence on The Hobbit is Tolkien’s adoration of Norse mythology and Germanic philology. Not only are many myths from Norse mythology adapted into The Hobbit, the names of the characters have a distinct Old Norse feel to them (Rateliff, John D.). And speaking of characters, the dwarves were modeled after ancient Jewish people and their history (Rateliff, John D.). Last but not least, the epic Beowulf was the main inspiration behind the world Tolkien wanted to create. As Tolkien was a respected scholar of Beowulf, The Hobbit was in part a tribute to the epic and a reworking of it (Purtill, Richard

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