Post on 11-Jan-2016
J.R.R. Tolkien(John Ronald Reuel)
Timeline
• 1892- Born in South Africa• 1895 – Family moves to England• 1896 – Father dies in South Africa• 1904 - Mother dies of diabetes – Him and his brother left in a Catholic
orphanage – Later his aunt finds and raises them in the
country
• 1916 – Marries his wife and fights in WWI• 1916 – Returns home to England with
shell shock
• 1917 - Begins to write his first book, The Silmarillion while recovering
• 1925 – Starts teaching at Oxford University– Viking Club = reading old norse sagas– Teaches literature
• 1937 – The Hobbit is published• 1954 – First Lord of the Rings book
published• 1959 – Retires from teaching at Oxford• 1971 – Wife dies at 82 years old• 1973 – Tolkien dies at 81
The Hobbit“There and Back Again”
• Written for his children• Published September 21, 1937• Children’s Book• Fantasy• Otherworld • Themes:
– Personal Growth (Individuation)– Overcoming temptation (greed and selfishness) – Animism– Heroism
• Translated into over 40 languages• Never out of print
Races and Creatures
• Dragons
• Dwarves • Eagles
• Elves • Goblins
• Hobbits • Men
• Shifter (mage) • Spider
• Trolls • Wargs
• Wizards
Main Characters
Characters
• Bard – captain of the guard in Lake Town• Beorn – human that can turn into a bear• Bilbo Baggins – Hobbit hired as a thief by the
dwarves• Elrond – leader of the elves of Rivendell• Gandalf – wise old wizard• Gollum – creature that lives in the caves of Moria• Smaug – Dragon that lives in the Lonely Mountain• Thorin Oakenshield – leader of the Dwarves
heading to the Misty Mountains• Thror – Thorin’s grandfather who mined Moria
Riddles
• What has roots as nobody sees,Is taller than trees,Up, up it goes,And yet never grows?
• Thirty white horses on a red hill,First they champ,Then they stamp,Then they stand still.
• Voiceless it cries,Wingless flutters,toothless bites,Mouthless mutters.
• An eye in a blue faceSaw an eye in a green face."That eye is like to this eye"Said the first eye,"but in low placeNot in high place."
• It cannot be seen, cannot be felt,Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt.It lies behind stars and under hills,And empty holes it fills.It comes first and follows after,Ends life, kills laughter.
• A box without hinges, key, or lid,yet golden treasure inside is hid.
• Alive without breath,As cold as death;Never thirsty, ever drinking,All in mail never clinking.
• This thing all things devours:Birds, beasts, trees, flowers;Gnaws iron, bites steel;Grinds hard stones to meal;Slays king, ruins town,And beats high mountain down.
Other works by Tolkien
• The Lord of the Rings Trilogy• The Father Christmas Letters • Sir Gawain and the Green Knight• Farmer Giles of Ham• The Adventures of Tom Bombidail• The Silmarillion• The Road Goes Ever On• Roverandom