Was inspired to make this edit after listening to the original narration linked here: • J. R. R. Tolkien - The... . If you prefer no music or slideshows, then watch the original narration by Oskar.
It is not surprising that Tolkien would abandon this sequel, considering the implications that it has for the future of Middle Earth. According to his mythology, Middle Earth would one day meet its end and Morgoth would finally be destroyed. But as Tolkien writes in the Silmarillion, the evil that Morgoth "sowed in the hearts of Elves and Men are a seed that does not die and cannot be destroyed; and ever and anon it sprouts anew, and will bear dark fruit even unto the latest days."
In doing this little project, I realized just how troubling this age of Middle Earth could be and why Tolkien deemed his unwritten sequel as "sinister and depressing." Against the old evil, there seems to be no formidable adversary among mankind, nor any wisdom or aid to be offered from the elves and other magical beings that have seemingly left Middle Earth for good. However, I think it imparts an important lesson that only reinforces the triumph of Tolkien's eminent trilogy - that it is a mistake to take goodness for granted.
While Tolkien certainly canonized the destruction of Middle Earth in his mythology, it is not what really matters. As Gandalf tells Frodo, “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” The point of Tolkien's work is not that bad things will happen, but that those who choose to do what is right rise above their circumstances no matter how dire. And maybe - just maybe - if enough people realize that, there will be a happy ending. Just some thoughts!
30 сен 2024
