Letter 183

The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
Letter 183
Recipient	None, written for Tolkien’s own satisfaction
Date	Probably written in 1956, never sent
Subject(s)	Notes on W.H. Auden's review of The Return of the King

Letter 183 is a letter written by J.R.R. Tolkien and published in The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien.

Summary

In this unpublished letter Tolkien responds to W.H. Auden’s review of The Return of the King in The New York Times Book Review (January 22, 1956). The review, titled "At the End of the Quest, Victory", praised Tolkien’s success in using the traditional form of the quest but also presented a critical perspective on how quests reflect life’s experiences.

A Critique of the review

Tolkien begins by expressing his gratitude for Auden's review, describing it as "most encouraging, as coming from a man who is both a poet and a critic of distinction". However, Tolkien is quick to point out his disagreement with Auden’s way of thinking about quests and the nature of storytelling. He notes that Auden’s review takes a critic’s approach rather than an author’s, which Tolkien finds inappropriate for analysing his work, stating "It seems to me a critic's way of talking rather than an author's".

According to Tolkien, Auden's framing of the quest as an "objectification" of personal experience does not align with his intention in The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien asserts that the success of his tale lies in its distance from his own personal experience of life, emphasising that his story "is not about JRRT at all" and is "at no point an attempt to allegorise his experience of life".

Middle-earth and the Real World

In a significant clarification, Tolkien explains the nature of Middle-earth, describing it not as an imaginary world but as "the abiding place of Men, the objectively real world". He traces the name's etymology back to middel-erd, a term from the 13th century used to describe the world of human habitation, in opposition to imaginary or unseen realms like Fairyland or Heaven. Tolkien positions his tale within a familiar historical framework; "The theatre of my tale is this earth, the one in which we now live, but the historical period is imaginary". Tolkien defends the historical and geographical basis of his fictional world, arguing that the story feels familiar because it is rooted in the same essential world known to people of North-western Europe. This is part of the reason why The Lord of the Rings resonates with readers, even if the historical period itself is a creation of his imagination.

Journeys and Their Significance

A key point of divergence between Tolkien and Auden is the notion of the journey. Auden had claimed that only "the rich and those on vacation can take journeys", while most people do not make conscious choices but act out predictable behaviours. Tolkien strongly rejects this view, contending that journeys are a fundamental part of human experience, even for ordinary people; "Most men make some journeys. Whether long or short, with an errand or simply to go 'there and back again', is not of primary importance".

Tolkien illustrates his point with the character of Sam, who undergoes a significant transformation after just a short journey. For Tolkien, the journey serves as a narrative device that allows characters to break free from passive existence and engage in active exploration of the world. He emphasises that journeys need not be long or symbolically grand to be meaningful, stating that "even an afternoon-to-evening walk may have important effects".

Character and Development

Tolkien also takes issue with Auden’s depiction of human behaviour as predictable and calculable. Instead, Tolkien argues that human beings are inherently complex and unpredictable, likening them to seeds with inherent potential to grow in various directions depending on their circumstances. He extends this metaphor by suggesting that individuals are both seeds and gardeners, possessing the capacity to shape their own development; "A man is both a seed and in some degree also a gardener, for good or ill".

This dual nature, according to Tolkien, means that human character is subject to both innate tendencies and conscious efforts to change or develop. Tolkien expresses scepticism about the usefulness of journeys as metaphors for understanding human character, preferring the organic metaphor of growth and development.

Frodo’s Quest

Addressing Auden's claim that quests can be overly political, Tolkien draws a distinction between Frodo’s quest and the political ambitions of characters like Denethor. While Denethor’s actions were tainted by political motivations—his desire to preserve the polity of Gondor at all costs—Frodo’s mission was fundamentally humane in nature; "It seems clear to me that Frodo's duty was 'humane' not political".

Tolkien explains that the quest was not about preserving specific political entities like the Shire, but about freeing all peoples, including even those aligned with evil, from the tyranny of Sauron. He contrasts Frodo’s selfless mission with Denethor’s more self-interested approach, which ultimately led to Denethor's downfall and near-tyranny.

Good and Evil

Tolkien also touches upon the portrayal of good and evil in his narrative. While rejecting the notion of "Absolute Evil", Tolkien explains that Sauron represents the closest approximation of a wholly evil being in his mythology. He notes that Sauron’s trajectory mirrors that of many tyrants, beginning with a desire to impose order for the greater good but descending into domination and cruelty.

At the core of The Lord of the Rings, according to Tolkien, is not the struggle for freedom, but a deeper conflict concerning "God, and His sole right to divine honour". Sauron’s ambition to be worshipped as a god is what drives his evil actions, and Tolkien frames the moral struggle as being about ultimate good versus ultimate evil, transcending individual actions or political conflicts.

Throughout the letter, Tolkien consistently rebuts Auden’s interpretations of The Lord of the Rings while offering a detailed explanation of his own literary choices. He emphasises that his story is neither an allegory nor a purely symbolic representation of personal experience. Instead, it is a historically rooted, complex tale that uses familiar elements of the human world—such as quests, journeys, and the struggle between good and evil—to explore universal themes.