A Hobbit & A Wardrobe
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” — Matthew 5:5
The worlds of J.R.R Tolkien and C.S. Lewis have captured the hearts of many decades following their first publication. The timeless classics have instilled hope and dreams and spurred the imaginations of many, as well as helped in the development of authors throughout their own writing careers. The legendary authors, Tolkien and Lewis, were good friends during the writing process of their respective novels, even going as far as to exchange letters and bounce literary ideas off one another. Due to their close partnership during the intricate behind-the-scenes work, their novels portray many similarities and differences. J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings, and C.S. Lewis, author of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, both dive deep into the world of fantasy and although they have many similarities, such as the type of main characters they authored, there is an overwhelming difference they take regarding religious approach.
When reading the mystical tales of hobbits and woodland adventurers, it is easy to get lost in the well-worn pages of the beloved novels. Taking time to slow down and examine these works helps lead some to a greater understanding of what was intended by the authors and what story they most truly wanted to express. In both novels, the reader follows particularly and uncommonly small characters on a journey across a fantastical realm full of danger and deceit. In J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, the reader follows Frodo Baggins and Sam Gamgee on their journey to Mount Doom in the dark land of Mordor. Whereas, in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the reader delights in following young Lucy through a wardrobe into the mythical land of Narnia to purge the land of the White Witch. Most would overlook the similarities between the two main characters right off the bat, but there is one main similarity between these two novels found in even just the synopsis on the back cover: the meek shall inherit the earth.
Once Frodo Baggins finds himself among the council of the woodland elf, Elrond, before beginning his treacherous journey, Elrond offers up some words of wisdom and encouragement to the fellowship. Tolkien writes, in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, “‘At least for a while, said Elrond. ‘The road must be trod, but it will be very hard. And neither strength nor wisdom will carry us far upon it. This quest may be attempted by the weak with as much hope as the strong. Yet, such is oft the course of deeds that move the wheels of the world: small hands do them because they must, while the eyes of the great are elsewhere’” (Tolkien, 334). In the world of Middle-earth, Hobbits are viewed almost as children. They keep to themselves, are tiny in comparison to others, enjoy plain food and good scenery, yet Tolkien writes of characters, that although small, can accomplish just as much, if not more, than the greats. He even carries this idea on in his other work, The Silmarillion. Tolkien once again writes, “‘Many are the strange chances of the world,’ said Mithrandir, ‘and help oft shall come from the hands of the weak when the Wise falter” (Tolkien, 362). Mithrandir, also known as Gandalf the Gray, foreshadows the coming of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins and their journey to destroy the Ruling Ring. Two very little things against a dangerous force will lead the world back into the light.
The same goes for Lucy in Narnia. Lucy, although curious and valiant, is weak compared to her siblings. Yet, Lewis makes Lucy Pevens the most valuable commodity when defeating the White Witch. Gifted with the power to save, Lucy rises to the occasion to become the heroine of Narnia. Many children are enthralled by superheroes, valiant knights, and others, and the fact that Lewis wrote a fantasy novel where children are the heroes, and specifically designed it for children's audiences, speaks volumes. Having role models is crucial to the development of children, yet even more beneficial is children looking to other children. When thinking of those we admire, we often choose people who are older and more experienced, and hope to one day become like them. The remarkable thing about Lucy Pevensie is that children readers don’t have to wait years to come into their own. Lewis authored a character that children could model themselves after the moment they close the book. Maybe the meek will inherit the earth, but at the same time, the meek may grow into the greats.
In a paper by Azzurra Ruggeri titled, “The Influence of Adult and Peer Role Models on Children’ and Adolescents’ Sharing Decision,” the author details, “Social learning theory postulates that individuals learn behaviors, attitudes, and social norms by imitating others (Bandura, 1977, 1986), a capacity that emerges in infancy (Wood, Kendal, & Flynn, 2013a). Studies suggested that young children are biased when deciding from whom to learn novel information” (Azzurra). The concept of the meek inheriting the earth is not only a common denominator between the two literary works, but an important aspect and lesson that both authors penned into their stories. The idea that the weak can be strong is more encouraging to some than we may yet realize, but the genius of Tolkien and Lewis is that they already knew this. The meek inheriting the earth bleeds into one of the major contrasting elements of The Lord of the Rings and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The term “the meek shall inherit the earth” is found in the Biblical book of Matthew 5:5, it is written, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matt 5:5). Both Tolkien and Lewis’s works were heavily influenced by religious influences.
The legendary lost tales and living fiction of both authors center around a profound religious faith found within both of them. The Lord of the Rings is a legend and mythology depicting the black-and-white struggle between good and evil where God is never directly seen. C.S. Lewis’s character, Aslan, is almost a direct representation of Jesus Christ. However, many often overlook the religious undertones of these novels, and yet still, both authors provided and exemplified two very different approaches to religion within their mythical worlds.
In J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography, author Humphrey Carpenter, dives into the religious works of Tolkien, writing, “Some have puzzled over the relation between Tolkien’s stories and his Christianity, and have found it difficult to understand how a devout Roman Catholic could write with such conviction about a world where God is not worshipped” (Carpenter, 99). The stark contrast between the two works of Tolkien and Lewis is found chiefly in their religious approaches. Tolkien writes an epic where God is not directly worshipped and is not explicitly stated within the pages. Whereas, Lewis writes of Aslan, the one true king of Narnia, as a direct representation of Christ. The Chronicles of Narnia even follows and copies the tale of Jesus Christ. Aslan sacrifices himself, evil has won, and yet Aslan returns, just as the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been told for centuries. The inhabitants of Narnia worship and recognize Aslan as the king of the realm, they wish to put him back on the throne and recognize when he is on the move.
In an article by Peter J. Schakel, titled “Hidden Images of Christ in the Fiction of C.S. Lewis,” Schakel so eloquently states, “The willing sacrifice, the biblical tone and imagery (with its similarity to Isa. 53: ‘He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth’), and Aslan’s subsequent return to life clearly associate him with Christ. Yet, even so, Aslan’s death is not a mirror image of Christ’s death in the Bible. Aslan’s death saves all of Narnia from destruction, but he does not die to save all Narnians from their failures to keep the law; he dies only for Edmund, in that sense. He is stabbed to death, not crucified; he is dead only overnight, not for two nights; he comes back to life the next morning, not on the third day. The general meaning of Aslan’s death is very similar to the meaning of the death of Christ in our world, but one does not need to know or refer to the biblical account of Christ to gain that meaning. It is comprehensible in terms of the imaginary world Lewis created” (Schakel). Of course, there are differences between Aslan and Christ, but the message still rings true. C.S. Lewis, a religious man who began as a skeptic, begins to weave a tale for young readers to hear the message of Jesus Christ without throwing it in their faces. Still, religion is prevalent in the works of Tolkien, although not as explicit as the story of Aslan.
In The Silmarillion, also authored by J.R.R. Tolkien, “The Valar” are coined the gods of the realm, and remain unseen throughout Frodo’s journey to the land of shadows. Humphrey Carpenter continues to state, “He wanted the mythological and legendary stories to express his own moral view of the universe; and as a Christian he could not place this view in a cosmos without the God he worshipped. At the same time, to set his stories ‘realistically’ in the known world, where religious beliefs were explicitly Christian, would deprive them of imaginative color. So while God is present in Tolkien’s universe, He remains unseen” (Carpenter, 99). This contrasts with the world of C.S. Lewis, where religion is almost blindingly prevalent. It is obvious to all in Narnia that something bigger is on the move; someone is waiting to make his return. In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis states, “And now a very curious thing happened. None of the children knew who Aslan was any more than you do; but the moment the Beaver had spoken these words everyone felt quite different.... At the name of Aslan each one of the children felt something jump in its inside. Edmund felt a sensation of mysterious horror. Peter felt suddenly brave and adventurous. Susan felt as if some delicious smell or some delightful strain of music had just floated by her. And Lucy got the feeling you have when you wake up in the morning and realize that it is the beginning of the holidays or the beginning of summer” (Lewis, 75). The way Aslan’s name flows through the beaver dam is almost as some would describe having a spiritual or religious experience. Some of the children felt peace, some felt dread, some felt brave and so on and so forth. Yet, they all felt different, almost as if a veil had been lifted and they were able to see rightly what was truly before them. Aslan is the personification of good, and the only time quiet befalls the world of Tolkien is when the dark lord instills fear into the fellowship. Lewis focused more on the good of religion, whereas Tolkien focused on the darker aspects of the Christian and Roman Catholic faith. This may be due to the fact that Tolkien was known to have a pessimistic personality at times. However, Tolkien went on to write one of the most encouraging fantasy novels of his century about the struggle between good and evil, and the will to persevere through the darkest of times. The religious aspects in both The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and The Lord of the Rings, are one of the novels’ most prominent aspects, and still, they are both extremely different from one another.
J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, literary geniuses and real-life good friends, are responsible for shaping the world of fantasy and the genre as a whole. J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth has been dubbed one of the most original works of literary fiction, and C.S. Lewis’ fantastical world of Narnia, took readers on an unforgettable journey through a wardrobe. Both renowned authors displayed characters who were inherently weak, yet somehow went on to change the world. The meek shall inherit the earth is a strong component found within both Frodo Baggins and Lucy Pevensive. Aside from their similar characters, the authors both displayed their own creative approaches when dealing with religion within their respective novels. C.S. Lewis was direct with his approach, whereas J.R.R. Tolkien hid the complexities of his universe among the pages of The Lord of the Rings. Despite their differences, and along with their similarities, both novels have lived on and inspired many readers around the globe decades after their publication. The legacy of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien will live on, not in biographies, documentaries or articles, but within the well-worn pages of their beloved novels, where lies their hearts and souls before the world.
WORKS CITED:
Tolkien, J. R. R. The Fellowship of the Ring : Being the First Part of The Lord of the Rings.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2002. Pg. 134
---. The Silmarillion. Edited by Christopher Tolkien, Houghton Mifflin, 2001. Pg. 362.
Ruggeri, Azzurra, et al. "The Influence of Adult and Peer Role Models on Children' and
Adolescents' Sharing Decisions." Child Development, vol. 89, no. 5, Oct. 2018.
Matthew 5:5, Holy Bible, Journal Edition. New International Version, Zondervan, 2015.
Carpenter, Humphrey. J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography. Houghton Mifflin, 2001. Pg. 99.
Schakel, Peter. “Hidden Images of Christ in the Fiction of C. S. Lewis.” Studies in the Literary
Imagination 46.2 (2013): 1–18.
Lewis, C.S. The Chronicles of Narnia. Illustrated by Pauline Baynes, Harper Collins Publisher,
2004. The Chronicles of Narnia. Pg. 74
