I will admit, I am the type of person who will see a movie before I will have read the book. Hollywood finds most of their juicy stories from classic novels; just recently "The Count of Monte Cristo" was in the theaters, and numerous classics have been reproduced as "pop culture" versions to attract a bigger audience. But I must admit that I am grateful to have taken EN250, The Epic Hero, because I will be able to see the rest of The Lord of the Rings having already read the novel. Though when I tried to research for this paper, I saw that J.R.R. Tolkien has created a huge following from The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and his other fine masterpieces. There is at least one Website dedicated to the story in almost every country. The people behind marketing are making a fortune selling items from toys and books. There are also authors who have devoted their whole lives interpreting the plot and conceiving themes from the story that would relate to our time. But I believe that they're way too many people spending way too much time on this epic. Granted it is brillant, but when I read that J.R.R. Tolkien was a racist and a male chauvinist, I thought that maybe th

ose people are taking themselves too seriously. Also, when an author writes for pure fiction, then it should interpret as fiction, not misrepresenting Tolkien's personal beliefs.

Now I would simply have to say that meaning of an important work of literature confuses some people, much as religious fundamentalist might misinterpret the Bible or the Quarin. That is not the case that their own ideas should negate or contradict the author's own message. The authenticity of this story lies with only Tolkien and the only authority over this epic belongs to him.

Other critics believe that there is a sense of elitism and racism from the characters Sam and the Dark Lord. Sam is depicted as slow and dim-witted, and his constant concerns for Frodo make him seem more like a servant rather than a friend. That fact that he is the only one who calls him "Mr. Frodo" shows that some of the critics might have a point. Sam does carry Frodo to the top of the mountain and he performs numerous tasks for his "master". Though I think it would be rather ridiculous to think J.R.R. Tolkien is a snob because others see Sam as an indentured servant. If I was a critic, I might think that Sam was a faithful sidekick and a good friend.

The major critics believe that Tolkien has inadvertently created characters that fit around the social prejudices that exist today. The fact that makes the women in the novel seem as minor roles, and are not involved as in depth as the other male characters. The Fellowship only involves the males and lacks any female element. Though in almost every classic epic, the male dominates over evil and rescues the damsel in distress. T

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Approximate Word count = 1118
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)