In the tranquility of the Shire, the Hobbits prepare for the jubilant celebration of Bilbo Baggins 111th birthday. During the festivities, Bilbo abruptly leaves the Shire in the most Bilbo-fashion, leaving all of his belongings to his nephew which includes the magic ring he found in the heart of the Misty Mountains. This magic ring turns out to be the fabled Ring of Power, a magical item so tantalizing that if one catches glimpse of its golden glow, they immediately covet it's awesome power. However, only Sauron, the creator of the Ring of Power, truly knows how to wield the full might of the Ring. All else who try are betrayed and corrupted by the Ring. Thus begins the fable of the Ring Bearer, Frodo Baggins, and his journey into the heart of darkness within Middle-Earth, and within himself.

It's a classic tale of good versus evil that has been duplicated and replicated in countless stories since its publication. There are many "heroes" within The Lord of the Rings that the reader engages with. Whether it is Aragorn embracing his identity as the eventual King of Gondor, or Eowyn going against the norms of a patriarchal society as she rides to war, or the power of friendship as Sam carries Frodo up the steep incline of Mt. Doom, there is a character within this epic tale that will speak to any reader. Additionally, so many pivotal moments of the story depend upon pure chance. A reflection of the real-world truth that there are things that just happen to us, whether we like it or not, and all we can do is determine what to do with the time that is given to us.





It is for these, and many other reasons, that The Lord of the Rings accomplishes what Tolkien aspired to achieve in the creation of this fantasy story. "Fantasy (in this sense) is, I think, not a lower but a higher form of Art, indeed the most nearly pure form, and so (when achieved) the most potent," Tolkien writes in his essay On Fairy Stories. That's quite a bold statement to claim that 'Fantasy' is a 'higher form of art', and the most 'pure form' of art. Perhaps, it is Tolkien gassing himself up as a means to validate his own creation. Or, it could be Tolkien dissecting into the literary prowess of religious texts, particularly The Bible which he was most accustomed too. After all, within the sacred stories found in this book, a reader will encounter a talking snake, the sea splitting in half, an ark that carries two of every animals, and an individual who turns water into wine. These stories are quite fantastical, and if we were to consider the stories as fantasy, then we can observe how 'potent' fantasy stories can be. This is not to devalue these sacred stories at all, rather, as Tolkien states, "it [Fantasy] may be a far-off gleam or echo of evangelium in the real world... It is presumptuous of me to touch upon such a theme; but if by grace what I say has in any respect any validity, it is, of course, only one facet of a truth incalculably rich: finite only because the capacity of Man for whom this was done is finite."





Fascinating enough, there are parallels in the themes found within The Lord of the Rings to the stories found in The Bible. After all, The Lord of the Rings explores the themes of sacrifice, friendship, love, loyalty, endurance, and of course faith in oneself and beyond their own life. Perhaps, it is for this reason, The Lord of the Rings has touched so many lives throughout the years, one of which was Peter Jackson, who spent a decade working on a faithful adaptation which received not only high acclaim from fans of the story, but critical acclaim as the series claimed 17 Academy Awards and other prestigious awards within the film industry. In addition, other fantasy stories touch upon the same themes as The Lord of the Rings. A few notable examples are Harry Potter, A Song of Ice and Fire, and The Chronicles of Narnia. It can also be argued that these stories would not exist if it weren't for The Lord of the Rings.

Perhaps, in the years to come, we may see a story that rivals the prowess of The Lord of the Rings, but until that day, J.R.R. Tolkien's epic fable reigns supreme as the epitome of the fantasy genre, and arguably, one of the prime examples of literary art in 'its most nearly pure form'.



