... life. For Tolkien, God represented a Trinity: a Divine unity composed of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. In Tolkien's work, there are multiple examples of Catholic symbols which represent crucial importance for the novel as well as for Tolkien's religion. "While Gandalf, whom 'die' and return to life, serve as analogues to Jesus Christ" ... Christ, but instead Tolkien's mind was rich with Christian narratives while he was writing his novels. It could be as simple as this example, but either way Tolkien used such symbols to connect his writing with his reli...

• Word Count: 4597
• Approx Pages: 18
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... imagination, and is dependent on devastation and decay for its basis. Conversely, righteousness is built from the beauty of creation and the safeguarding of anything that has been created. The symbols of these two opposing forces are seen as the Elven Rings, which symbolize good, and the One Ring, which is pure evil. A main theme seen within Tolkien's prequel, The Hobbit ... caves of the misty mountains so he would not lose his "precious," and slowly became the creature known as Gollum. Another evil that is more familiar to most readers is greed. Smaug, a dragon from The Hobbit, had no ...

• Word Count: 2097
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... reclaim their treasure from Smaug. Thorin is a proud, determined, and sturdy warrior, if a bit stubborn at times. As the novel progresses, I found that his inability to devise successful plans, his greed, and his reliance on Bilbo to save him at every turn make Thorin a somewhat unappealing figure, but he is converted through his regret before he dies. Thorin is the character ... , Nori, Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur, all dwarves, none of whom is really developed as an individual character in the novel. The narrator describes dwarves unfavorably in Chapter 12, noting their greed and trickery....

• Word Count: 4002
• Approx Pages: 16
• Grade Level: High School