The+Fellowship+of+the+Rings+by+J.R.R.+Tolkien

The Fellowship of The Ring This picture represents the nine companions who are known as the Fellowship of the Ring.

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 * Biography**: J.R.R. Tolkien

The great J.R.R. Tolkien.

Birth January 3, 1892 in Bloemfontein, South Africa Death:November 29, 1973 in Bournemouth, England Nationality: English J. R. R. Tolkien's real name is John Ronald Reuel Tolkien. He was born in 1892. His father died when he was of a young age. He moved to England with his mother. His mother became sick with diabetes while they where in England so she gave her sons to her close friend and confessor Father Francis Xavier Morgan. Tolkien grew up with him and Father Morgan became a father figure in his life. Father Morgan also helped finance Tolkien's study at Edwards School in Birminghan and at Oxford University. Tolkien spoke Latin and Greek. Tolkien served in the army in 1918 for World War I. Tolkien married Edith Bratt in 1916. He had four children. Tolkien's published his first official book __The Hobbit__ in 1937. One of his greatest accomplishments was __The Lord Of The Rings__. It was a best seller and also made it too the big screen in 2001. The first book of the trilogy is __The Fellowship Of The Ring__, the second is __The Twin Towers,__ and the third and final book is __The Return of the King__.

The __Fellowship of the Ring__ is a novel that was written in 1954 as part of a trilogy. It is the first of the three novels in the trilogy. There are two books in __The Fellowship Of The Ring__. The first book (Book I) has twelve chapters and the second book (Book II) has ten chapters. The genre is fanatsy, and the author is J.R.R. Tolkien.
 * The Novel:


 * Setting**:

The novel is set in various locales in the imaginary world of Middle-Earth, including the Shire, Bree, the Old Forest, Rivendell, Moria, Lothlórien, and the Anduin River. The era in which the story takes place is ancient times.


 * Conflict:**

The major conflict is an external conflict, man versus man. Frodo struggles against the opposing forces of the Ring’s corrupting influence and pull; also, he struggles against the responsibility and burden fate has placed upon him as the Ring-bearer becasue at times he just wants to give up and quit. Frodo’s uncertainty, reluctance, and perceived weakness work against his inner heroism and strength of character. As he continues on the quest, he feels the burden of his responsibility grow stronger, but also feels increasingly resigned to the role fate has given him. Much later, in the last book of the trilogy, the reader learns that Frodo is successful in his quest to destroy the ring.

Frodo puts on the ring on accidently when he slips and falls at The Prancing Pony.


 * Summary**:

__The Fellowship Of The Ring__ is the first of three volumes out of __The Lord Of The Ring__. In ancient times there were nine rings of powers, but a dark lord named Sauron forged one ring to rule them all. The ring was taken from him and he sought it throughout all of Middle-Earth, but it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell into the hands of a hobbit known as Bilbo Baggins of Bag End. Bilbo entrusts the ring of power to his nephew Frodo Baggins. Frodo must leave his home and make a perilous journey across middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom; along with nine companions, Frodo faces an enormous task to destroy the ring.


 * Plot**:

//The Fellowship of the Ring// opens with a party for Bilbo’s 111 th birthday. Bilbo gives his ring to his heir, his cousin Frodo Baggins. When the time comes to part with the ring, however, Bilbo becomes strangely reluctant to do so. He gives up the ring only at the determined urging of his friend, Gandalf the Grey, a great Wizard. Gandalf suspects that the ring is indeed the One Ring of legend. After confirming his suspicions, he tells Frodo that the Ring must be taken away from the Shire, as Sauron’s power is growing once again. Frodo sets out from the Shire with three of his Hobbit friends—Sam, Merry, and Pippin. Along the way, they are pursued by the nine Ringwraiths, servants of Sauron who take the form of terrifying Black Riders. Frodo meets the council at Rivendale the home of the elfs and there they create a group to help Frodo in his quest. In addition to Frodo, the Fellowship of the Ring includes Sam, Merry, Pippin, Aragorn, Gandalf, an Elf named Legolas, a Dwarf named Gimli, and a Man from the south named Boromir. Frodo accepts the burden of taking the Ring to the only place it can be destroyed—the place where it was forged. It promises to be a long, nearly impossible journey, as the Ring was forged in the Cracks of Doom, part of the fiery mountain Orodruin in the very heart of Sauron’s realm of Mordor.


 * Characters:**

Frodo holding the one ring of power
 * Frodo Baggins** - The main character of The Lord Of The Rings//,// a Hobbit of exceptional character. He is also thoughtful and curious and has a wisdom and strength.


 * Gandalf the Grey** - One of the five great Wizards in Middle-earth, second in his order only to Saruman. Known to most Hobbits only as a creator of fine fireworks, Gandalf is actually powerful beyond their imagination. He is also wise, humorous, kind, and generous, though sometimes short-tempered.


 * Aragorn** - Aragorn is also known as Strider. Before the coming of the Ring, he lived as a Ranger in the North, protecting the Shire and other lands from servants of the Enemy.


 * Sauron** - The Dark Lord Sauron, the Great Enemy; he is represented only by images of his Great Eye or the Dark Tower where he resides. He fervently desires the One Ring, which he created long ago and which holds a great part of his power.[[image:http://media.monstersandcritics.com/articles/1206051/article_images/theeyeofsauronwithmountdoominthebackground.jpg width="450" height="254" caption="The eye of Sauron with Mount Doom in the background"]]


 * The Ringwraiths** - Nine minions of Sauron who ceaselessly search for the One Ring. The Ringwraiths also known as the Black Riders. They pursue Frodo incessantly, and are especially drawn to him at any moments when he puts the Ring on his finger.


 * Legolas** - Legolas is light on his feet and masterful with a bow.


 * Gimli** - A Dwarf, Gimli is noble, and brave.


 * Boromir** - One of the Men of Gondor, from the city of Minas Tirith in the south. Boromir is a valiant fighter but he is vulnerable to the Ring’s power.


 * Peregrin (Pippin) Took** - A young and hobbit. Pippin is good-natured and a smart aleck.


 * Meriadoc (Merry) Brandybuck** - Merry is similar to Pippin, though he is more mature.


 * Tom Bombadil** - A mysterious, and powerful being who dances around his small realm, singing songs. Tom is extremely old. He has great power and is deeply connected to the earth.


 * Literary Devices:**

One literary device I am using is personifaction. Personifaction is a description of an inanimate object as being a living person or animal. This literary device is used in the Fellowship of the Ring. " I thought all the trees were whispering to each other" (108). This is a form of personifaction because trees can not speak to each other. Another form of personifaction is found when Tom Bombadils says, "You let them out again, Old Man Willow!"(118). Tom has givin the tree a name, but a tree is an inanimate object that does not not have any human traits.

Another literary device is allusion.On page 175 there is a Biblical allusion: " . . . but thirty silver pennies was a sore blow to him, and being cheated by Bill Ferny made it harder to bear" (175). This allusion is similar to that of Judas in the Bible. Judas was given thirty pieces of silver to betray Jesus just like Bill was given thirty pieces of silver in order to cheat the hobbits.


 * Literary Critism**:

C.S. Lewis's criticism on __The Fellowship of the Ring__ was that he believed "Nothing quite like it was ever done before" (1). Also, "He believed it was like lighting from a clear sky" (1). C.S. Lewis was impressed with everything, especially the way Tolkien used his words and described things in the book. He also says Tolkien creates his own world with theology, myths, geography, history, palaeography, languages, and orders of beings. He is extremely impressed with Tolkien's novel. Another criticism was done by W.H. Auden. He believed that Tolkien's first book __The Hobbit__ was the best children's story written in the last fifty years, but __The Fellowship Of The Ring__ is better than Tolkien's wildest dreams could have foreseen. He went on too mention that he was impressed by his writing skills and that the only confusion he had was that ". . . the Hobbits have lived for many generations immune from war, pestilence, and famine; and that, normally, they have large families and are long-lived. In that case, I do not quite understand why population pressure has not forced them to emigrate from the Shire. Secondly—a minor point—the drying up of the Sirannon river is explained by the fact that it has been dammed; but the lake so formed has been full for years—where is the water going to? (1). It is unknown to me whether J.R.R. Tolkien ever answered that question. All in all, W.H. Auden was impressed with Tolkien novel The Fellowship of the ring.


 * Personal Review**

I thought that this book was a difficult read but also very good. I loved it from the moment I read the first page. I also thought that the movie was absolute amazing. J.R.R Tolkien is a brilliant writer. I felt like I was a part of the story because of Tolkien's diction and descriptions. The characters, places and scenery are so vivid that it seems completely magical amd real. __The Fellowship of the Ring is__ a novel that meets my personal criteria because it shows action, adventure, drama, mystery and successful achievement of a goal.


 * Biblography**

Citation added: Lewis, C.S. "Tolkien, J(ohn) R(onald) R(euel) 1892-1973: Critical Essay by C. S. Lewis on J. R. R. Tolkien Summary." //Critical Essay by C.S. Lewis//. //BookRags.com: Book Summaries, Study Guides//. Web. 14 May 2010. [].

"J.R.R .Tolkien." //Contemporary Authors Online//. Gale, 2010. //Biography Resource Center//. Web. 10 May 2010. [].

//Authors and Artist for Young Adults//. Vol. 10. Gale, 1993. Web. [].

Auden, W. H. "Critical Essay by W. H. Auden." Web. 17 May 2010. [].

Digital image. Web. 18 May 2010. []. Digital image. Web. 18 May 2010. .