If there is
something to take away from this interplay between the two races and their
focuses, perhaps it is that of yin and yang. Seemingly opposite things rely on one
another to exist, both in the yin yang concept and in Middle Earth. As seen in The Tale of the Sun and the Moon, [1]
the existence of the sun is intertwined with the existence of the moon in order
to maintain balance over the world. Before the creation of the moon and night, Lórien
complained to Manwé, “the eyes of us ache by reason of [the sun’s] flaming, and
beauty and soft sleep is driven far away.” The sun at this time was so bright and
persistent such that the fount of Kulullin, “dulled and her garden wilted in
the heat, and her roses lost their hues and fragrance.” The Sun was damaging
the world, “making it a place where no quiet or peaceful shadow could remain.” The
nightly moon was thus needed to ensure peace and prosperity over the world. The
coolness and soft light of the moon at night was necessary to compliment the
heat and brightness of the sun at day.
Along the
lines of complimentary forces, the existence of Melkor and his rebellious,
destructive nature in the world is also necessary alongside the Ainur and Valar’s calmer, orderly natures. When the Ainur create
mountains, Melkor razes them; when they create oceans, he shifts and spills
them; when they create lanterns and trees for light, he topples them and
poisons them. In this long process, Melkor is a key component to the shaping and
molding of the Earth. The
existence of Melkor reminds me of the scene in The Phantom Tollbooth
when the conductor allows Milo to conduct nature, and in essence the world,
while he naps.[2] I
feel that the conductor must have known that Milo, a child who had never
conducted nature before, was going to mess up or conduct differently from
himself. In a similar way, Ilúvatar creates and allows Melkor, an element of
change and chaos, to exist alongside the other Ainur and Valar. Ilúvatar must
have known Melkor, like the other Ainur, would not be perfect. Amongst the
other Ainur, such ‘imperfection’ is most clearly noted when Aulë creates the
dwarves against Ilúvatar’s say so. Yet despite this, Ilúvatar shows
satisfaction with what all the Ainur do, working their actions and creations
into the grand scheme of the world. In such a way, Ilúvatar, like God, is a
conductor, working seemingly contrasting elements into one glorious theme of
creation. [3]
In regards
to God and creation comes another story in which the concept of yin and yang is
exemplified: that of Pearl. In Pearl are many complimentary themes.
There is that between what is terrestrial and what is heavenly, for the
narrator of the poem is sleeping on Earth yet dreams of obtaining a glimpse of
The Heavenly Kingdom. There is also the comparison of placing great importance
on oneself and on one’s own needs versus placing great importance on others and
on the desire and needs of others. The narrator cares greatly for his personal
possessions, for in the beginning of the poem he seeks his lost pearl at great
lengths. On the other hand, in his dream he shows a passion to serve and love
God and gain admittance to The Heavenly Kingdom. He also shows great devotion
to the girl that visits and converses with him in his dream, such that he no
longer focuses on retrieving his pearl but rather on conversing with the girl
about God, heaven, and repentance. By the poem’s end, the narrator is indebted
to the girl and is resolved to fulfill God’s will. This contrasts sharply to
his attitude of self-interest and worldly possession at the beginning of the
poem. In yet a final yin-yang comparison, we see the narrator go through a
process in which he feels first desire, but then satisfaction and content.
[4]
In
conclusion, the contrast between Dwarves’ love for gems and caverns and Elves’ love for
trees and gardens is not a dividing one. Rather it is a uniting one, for theirs is a love
for nature. Theirs is a love for cultivation of the Earth, both above and below
the surface. Dwarves must sculpt and maintain their structures and bounty
within the Earth, while Elves must nurture and maintain their structures and
bounty on the surface of the Earth. Although the distinct aspects of the Earth
above and below the surface may make Dwarves and Elves seem worlds apart, one
cannot exist without the other in a healthy Earth. In saying that one cannot
exist without the other, this applies both to the races and to their
livelihoods and contributions on Earth. For a comparison, look at the story of Nausicaä
of the Valley of the Wind. [5] In this story, the forests of the
Earth are polluted such that exposure to the forest air is toxic to humans. Yet,
deep under the forests are flowing waters and sifting sands that cleanse the
Earth and clean the air. Without the toxic
forests above, the waters and sands cleansing the Earth would be exposed and
exploited. Without the water and sands in the belly of the Earth, the planet
would not be supplied with fresh air, and all life would die.
In a similar way, the focuses of
the Dwarves and Elves go hand in hand. In very unique ways, both races help
ensure the health of Middle Earth’s natural resources. Dwarves and gems, in a
sense, reflect the health of the inner earth just as Elves and trees reflect
the health of the outer earth. The Earth is important through and through,
above and below, in and out. In light of the plight humans have on the present day
Earth, this is something that the human race can learn from; to respect all
aspects, creatures, and races of the Earth, even those that we do not
understand or see. It may be these things or people that, along with us, can
ensure the vitality of the Earth both today and for the future.
~C.C.C.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
My ‘works cited’ are works from which I obtained quotes, and
also works from which the content of a paragraph pulls greatly from. Works cited are not in MLA format but are simply given by name and author(s).
[1] The Tale of the Sun and the Moon, J.R.R.
Tolkien
[2] The
Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Juster
[3] The Silmarillion, J.R.R. Tolkien
[4] Pearl, Author Unknown and Translated by
J.R.R. Tolkien
[5] Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Studio
Ghibli
3 comments:
Just to be clear: in Pearl, the girl is the jewel. The narrator is mourning the death of his daughter, not the loss of a possession. RLFB
C.C.C.,
Thanks for the post! Lots of interesting and provocative stuff in here. I think yin and yang is an ok metaphor for approaching this, but I don't think Tolkien would have subscribed entirely to the sort of "unity of opposites" and "perpetual balance" inherent in the Chinese metaphysic.
That said, the fact that Tolkien creates all sorts of apparently pairs and complements is incontrovertible, as is the point he rarely portrays something without eventually invoking a hint of its shadow or opposite. So I think the idea of something like opposites coexisting and almost calling each other into existence isn't really far from his creations.
Interesting...that puts an curious twist on things. Most people I spoke to thought the pearl was a pearl, but that in his dream the pearl was represented by an entity, the girl.
I didn't pick up on the pearl being a daughter, but I can see the poem being symbolic in that sense as well.
~C.C.C.
Post a Comment