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Conclusion
Having read the evidence presented directly by Friedman, Brogan, and Ellison, and indirectly by host of others, and despite any disclaimers Tolkien wrote to the contrary, Tolkien's work seems to have legitimate roots within both World Wars. That is not to say that Tolkien's work should again be interpreted as a form of allegory -- neither Tolkien nor I should wish for nor appreciate that. Nor even that one should go digging for what Tolkien would much rather you didn't find -- neither of us would appreciate that either. It is merely to say that the two wars did have some influence on how the story came to be told.
On the other hand, there are different types of influence. Grant C. Sterling explains:
...There can be no doubt, for example, that WW I experiences influenced Tolkien's descriptions of certain things, such as the Morannon. The passages you give demonstrate such things effectively [and Tolkien admitted as much]. It is another thing for something to affect the theme of a work of literature, or the main thrust of the plot. What Tolkien was denying was that either war had much effect on _those_ sorts of fundamental things. {And that is what I, myself, was trying to deny as well.} This is not to take away from the value of pointing out instances of the first sort of influence...(51)
Having concluded this, we can now go back to sleep, reenter Middle-earth, and continue to engage in such escapism as The Lord of the Rings readily invites us into and was most assuredly written for. (Or was it? But that, my friends, is a whole nother can of worms, which I shall leave for someone to pry open and delve into.)
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[email protected] | 10 December 1998