Sunday, February 16, 2020
Tolkien Inspiration
During the group disscusion, Bilbo taking the cup was brought up, as well as the parallels that has to Beowulf. It is very classic dragon for what we know today: a thief steals a very small amount of treasure, one cup, something that would seem insignificant to us and yet the dragon notices and stirs, ending with it reaping terror on innocents. I find it very interesting that the two are so closely related. At the beginning of the semester, we read that paper about insipration and how it is importaint to not focus on it, as we may not know what that inspiration is. However, I think that sometimes, we should look at what an author references. While I do not think a reader should go comparing the two, it is interesting to know what influences people and how they turn it into their own thing. The way Bilbo fights the dragon in riddles is very different than how Beowulf fight the dragon with his sword, but seeing the way different people create a story is rather inspireing I think.
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Hello!
ReplyDeleteI personally think that it is similar to what Dr. Donovan said - knowing the references can enhance it but it isn't necessary. This is one area I fully admire Tolkein's work because many times to understand the references or even main story that references be completely read. However Tolkein remains the Hobbti very accessible too all audiences, even if he borrows from Beuwulf from time to time..
That's all,
Elendil