<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>J. R. R. Tolkien, as somebody who experienced a difficult early life as an orphan and then as a World War I soldier, endured enough trauma and suffering in his life for it to become a significant element in almost all of his fictional works. This paper explores Tolkien’s understanding of the effects of suffering in human life, which was shaped by his religious belief. He presents pain as an inevitable and essential part of the nature of the Fallen World; yet while it may seem at first as a form of punishment, if treated appropriately, it turns into a powerful means of achieving personal or societal salvation.</p></abstract>

J. R. R. Tolkien, as somebody who experienced a difficult early life as an orphan and then as a World War I soldier, endured enough trauma and suffering in his life for it to become a significant element in almost all of his fictional works. This paper explores Tolkien’s understanding of the effects of suffering in human life, which was shaped by his religious belief. He presents pain as an inevitable and essential part of the nature of the Fallen World; yet while it may seem at first as a form of punishment, if treated appropriately, it turns into a powerful means of achieving personal or societal salvation.

”<italic>What punishments of God are not gifts?</italic>” The meaning of suffering in Tolkien’s life and work

Department of English and American Studies Faculty of Arts Constantine the Philosopher,

Ars Aeterna

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

”” The meaning of suffering in Tolkien’s life and work

J. R. R. Tolkien, as somebody who experienced a difficult early life as an orphan and then as a World War I soldier, endured enough trauma and suffering in his...

”What punishments of God are not gifts?” The meaning of suffering in Tolkien’s life and work

Published Online: Feb 13, 2019

Page range: 41 - 51

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/aa-2018-0011

© 2018 Martina Juričková, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.