Word: tolkien
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...call on the military to join them and were confronted by Chávez supporters. Authorities used tear gas and rubber bullets to halt the fighting. A national strike aimed at forcing Chávez to step down has entered its second month. MEANWHILE Birthday Toast Fans of J.R.R. Tolkien from around the world celebrated what would have been the author's 111th birthday on Jan. 3. The number is especially significant to devotees of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy, as the hobbit Bilbo Baggins is seen in the first installment, The Fellowship of the Ring, holding...
...love the lord of the Rings trilogy not because the stories are simplistic [MOVIES, Dec. 2]. They, as much as any other work of fiction, tap into the same universal myths as all other literature; they're just decorated in a way that is particularly appealing to us. J.R.R. Tolkien's mythical books are about the universal difficulties of humanity, both the struggles and the pitfalls. We read these tales because they tell a good story, not because we're worried about America as a superpower. EMILY WHITWOOD Wichita Falls, Texas...
...there is potential for evil in us all and there is also potential for good. Although the hobbit hero Frodo may have failed to resist the temptation of the magic Ring, it is the slithery Gollum--thought to be nothing more than a nuisance--who ultimately destroys the Ring. Tolkien presents these profound ideas in the guise of an old-fashioned sword-and-sorcery epic. But the characters are as real and human as we are. BLAIR HURLEY Newton, Mass...
...evil, the expression of magic or nostalgia for a simpler time. The greatness of The Lord of the Rings is in its exploration of the consequences of a great task that falls to an unwilling and unlikely recipient and the expression of inner strength and personal transformation that result. Tolkien succeeds by telling a tale that is as much about the inner person as the outer quest. Director Peter Jackson succeeds with his film adaptations by recognizing the importance of this theme and integrating it admirably into his movies The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers. JOHN TILELLI...
Your story said that "on the political-correctness meter, The Lord of the Rings is radioactive," and asked, "Where are the women?" There may not be many women in Tolkien's fantasy world, but the few he depicts are strong and courageous--equal to or better than the men they interact with. The trilogy is a great form of escapism for women and men, and I would hate that people thought that it is misogynistic in any way. CHRIS BLAND Dallas...