When we were told to ask questions and do research about them to satiate our curiosity, I went crazy. Endless possibilities are both my delight and the bane of my existence. I felt that no extent of time would be sufficient to answer my questions, especially when I so readily delve headfirst into the proverbial rabbit hole.
I settled with the first topic of the Identity of characters as they relate to people who engage in the readings. This is very deceptive, since the questions I had in mind to try to understand it included
- Do people see themselves in the characters? Why? Could this be a sort of personality trait/quiz etc. ?
- Can this help you read the text differently?
- Does it make you want to talk to Tolkien and figure out if you have the same ideas about the characters/races?
As I searched for answers I began to think about how Tolkien often said he regarded himself as a Hobbit. So I couldn't help but wonder... What would I be? I had no clear answer. I know people that I can automatically categorize, as their personalities are easy for me to read. But my own is notoriously difficult to analyze by myself. OBVIOUSLY this prompted me to spend 10 minutes taking quizzes about what I am, with inconclusive answers. All of the quizzes were leading and frankly, dissapointing; if I wanted to pick and choose what I am, I wouldn't go looking for a quiz to help tell me!
So now I open the floor to you all. What race do you think you are, and why? Do you identify with any specific character from the text?
1 comment:
This is an interesting post! When I first got really into the LOTR, I found that I identified with aspects from many of the characters. Things like a love for good food and drink, accepting the weight of responsibility and a desire to breath thick, sweet forest air are just a few. This is one of the things that made reading it so fascinating. The characters were so relatable. Tolkien wasn't just a good author who was able to create believable characters, he was also an expert in myth. As we've discussed, myths relate to the people who champion them. Something about myths is born from some kind of human nature. The LOTR is so myth like, I do believe we relate to the characters because of our natural draw toward mythic things.
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