Karen, I am technically one of the Fantasy Generation, being in my late teens when the films were released. I found the film posters very intriguing but I never saw them in theatre, and did not read the books right away - I knew 'The Hobbit' from my pre-program childhood but not LOTR. I was still half in the thrall of that cultic homeschool program, and felt guilty about indulging in any kind of fantasy - even C. S. Lewis had been frowned upon. It took a long time to rid myself of the sense of guilt - but I eventually found the LOTR slightly disappointing, as I had envisioned a different world from those posters and my knowledge of the Hobbit, than the film or books conveyed.
That program definitely preached the "do great things for God" motto. We were told our generation would change the world for the better. When I read summations of the character of the Millennial generation, critics often said that it was being told we were exceptional and got participation trophies that made us into the seemingly dysfunctional generation that we were for a time regarded as being. It is ironic that a program, which claimed to be giving parents a different approach than the world's to child-rearing, gave the same message of exceptionalism to those children, but from sinister, manipulative motives.
I am so conflicted (which likely shows in my article): I love that people love to read! I have no problems with reading fantasy or fairy tales. I loved it when my students told me how much they love Harry Potter and LOTR. But over time, I began to notice that it was an obsession that too often didn't lead to reading other things. (I had some of this in an earlier draft of my essay, but cut it. I may write more in the future!)
I do think there is a connection to the need or pressure to be a hero not just admire them that comes from these stories ....
I got the pressure to be a hero, of the faith, from missionary and great people of the faith stories. But I do see what you mean about the LOTR connection and a certain flavour of heroic neo-conservatism among millennials. I have observed Beowulf getting dragged into the mix more recently. But I wonder if it is a case of some members of that generation bringing an, immature, mindset that they are all secretly heroes if they can just find the right cause to what they seek out to read. There was a time in my youth when I refused to read novels that didn't have a romance and didn't end happily. That is a natural youthful mindset, but I grew out of it eventually, finding that novels that are less easy to read also can be uplifting and encouraging even with seemingly unhappy endings.
I think the way Focus on the Family and other branches of evangelical industrial complex provided ways - i.e. 'Finding God in The Lord of the Rings' - of making seemingly deep spiritual applications of Tolkien's work, helped those of my generation raised in overreactionary conservatism to not feel so guilty about reading fantasy. The mistake was in stopping there. First, in not realizing that Tolkien had profited from a long legacy of literary riches, not just the obvious influences of Beowulf and the Nibelungenlied, but the work of Victorian era literati in bringing such works into the popular imagination, and the demonstrations by English language novelists like Jonathan Swift and Sir Walter Scott of how to build entire worlds out of words. Second, in not realizing that fantasy has limits in what it can teach about spiritual truths. Fantasy worlds are too neat and tidy, too clean, even the most sordid of them, to adequately convey the filth and chaos of fallen humanity. It also cheats in how it enables the 'better side' of humanity to win by magic. In real life, there is no such apparent winning. As Christians, we believe our Lord Jesus rose from the dead, but the rest of the world calls us mad for so believing, and the book of Acts simply ends with Paul imprisoned. There is no obvious victory in this life, no time when the ring is finally destroyed, only a quiet faithfulness in all circumstances in the faith that our Lord who suffered for us will make all things new.
I definitely think there is a “perfect storm” going on here. After all, LOTR book existed decades before they got conscripted into the culture wars.
I think what you say about the “neatness” of fantasy worlds is a big part of what turns me off. (Admittedly, there may be lots more out there I’m not familiar with.)
Swift is very complicated and messy. Definitely going to have to cover him here.
Karen, I am technically one of the Fantasy Generation, being in my late teens when the films were released. I found the film posters very intriguing but I never saw them in theatre, and did not read the books right away - I knew 'The Hobbit' from my pre-program childhood but not LOTR. I was still half in the thrall of that cultic homeschool program, and felt guilty about indulging in any kind of fantasy - even C. S. Lewis had been frowned upon. It took a long time to rid myself of the sense of guilt - but I eventually found the LOTR slightly disappointing, as I had envisioned a different world from those posters and my knowledge of the Hobbit, than the film or books conveyed.
That program definitely preached the "do great things for God" motto. We were told our generation would change the world for the better. When I read summations of the character of the Millennial generation, critics often said that it was being told we were exceptional and got participation trophies that made us into the seemingly dysfunctional generation that we were for a time regarded as being. It is ironic that a program, which claimed to be giving parents a different approach than the world's to child-rearing, gave the same message of exceptionalism to those children, but from sinister, manipulative motives.
I am so conflicted (which likely shows in my article): I love that people love to read! I have no problems with reading fantasy or fairy tales. I loved it when my students told me how much they love Harry Potter and LOTR. But over time, I began to notice that it was an obsession that too often didn't lead to reading other things. (I had some of this in an earlier draft of my essay, but cut it. I may write more in the future!)
I do think there is a connection to the need or pressure to be a hero not just admire them that comes from these stories ....
I got the pressure to be a hero, of the faith, from missionary and great people of the faith stories. But I do see what you mean about the LOTR connection and a certain flavour of heroic neo-conservatism among millennials. I have observed Beowulf getting dragged into the mix more recently. But I wonder if it is a case of some members of that generation bringing an, immature, mindset that they are all secretly heroes if they can just find the right cause to what they seek out to read. There was a time in my youth when I refused to read novels that didn't have a romance and didn't end happily. That is a natural youthful mindset, but I grew out of it eventually, finding that novels that are less easy to read also can be uplifting and encouraging even with seemingly unhappy endings.
I think the way Focus on the Family and other branches of evangelical industrial complex provided ways - i.e. 'Finding God in The Lord of the Rings' - of making seemingly deep spiritual applications of Tolkien's work, helped those of my generation raised in overreactionary conservatism to not feel so guilty about reading fantasy. The mistake was in stopping there. First, in not realizing that Tolkien had profited from a long legacy of literary riches, not just the obvious influences of Beowulf and the Nibelungenlied, but the work of Victorian era literati in bringing such works into the popular imagination, and the demonstrations by English language novelists like Jonathan Swift and Sir Walter Scott of how to build entire worlds out of words. Second, in not realizing that fantasy has limits in what it can teach about spiritual truths. Fantasy worlds are too neat and tidy, too clean, even the most sordid of them, to adequately convey the filth and chaos of fallen humanity. It also cheats in how it enables the 'better side' of humanity to win by magic. In real life, there is no such apparent winning. As Christians, we believe our Lord Jesus rose from the dead, but the rest of the world calls us mad for so believing, and the book of Acts simply ends with Paul imprisoned. There is no obvious victory in this life, no time when the ring is finally destroyed, only a quiet faithfulness in all circumstances in the faith that our Lord who suffered for us will make all things new.
I definitely think there is a “perfect storm” going on here. After all, LOTR book existed decades before they got conscripted into the culture wars.
I think what you say about the “neatness” of fantasy worlds is a big part of what turns me off. (Admittedly, there may be lots more out there I’m not familiar with.)
Swift is very complicated and messy. Definitely going to have to cover him here.
Thank you! Did the link I posted not work? I will fix if not!
No :-) it wasn't 'clickable', it was just the URL--folks would have to copy and paste it into their browser.... :-) #technologyargh.
Yikes! I guess I don’t know how to make it clickable! I tried again but I don’t think it worked. I think I know another way …