I have been thinking about eucatastrophe in Tolkien’s works as a result of the first group project presentation in class today. While there are many examples to choose from, such as the conclusion of the battle of Helm’s Deep and the Siege of Minas Tirith, one of the most obvious ones in The Hobbit is the eagles.
The eagles are a strange example of eucatastrophe. Whereas Tolkien follows the Ride of the Rohirrim and most of the events leading up to the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, the eagles usually come (quite literally) out of thin air. This has led to them being accused as a deus ex machina device. It is understandable why they are labeled as such, but their inclusion is more important to Tolkien’s idea of storytelling. When analyzing the specific events, it seems like the occurrence in the chapter “Out of the Frying Pan” is not very forced as the eagles live in the Misty Mountains and see what is happening. Their appearance in the Battle of Five Armies is less expected but still sufficiently explained in that they saw things gathering towards the battle. Their appearance at the end of The Lord of the Rings is less explained, but it seems like more of a reference to the conclusion of The Hobbit than the actual eucatastrophe of the story, as they really don’t do much - things would have come out more or less the same way whether or not they had been there.
What do you think about the eagles? Are they a well-done eucatastrophe or a deus ex machina? Or is eucatastrophe the same thing as a deus ex machina?
1 comment:
In the post, to me at least, you make it seem like eucatastrophe and a deus ex machina cannot both happen with in the story. I personally think that the eagles are part of their own minor eucatastrophe within the story. I also feel, however, that it is a eucatastrophe by the means of a dues ex machina. Thus being both.
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