J.R.R. Tolkien: A Brief Biography

It’s no surprise that I have kind of a thing for J.R.R. Tolkien. To say I am a fan is a bit of an understatement, although I know he has inspired a cult-like following of which I am unworthy to count myself. I have, however, enjoyed multiple readings of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion as well as various essays, short stories, letters, translations, and biographies. That’s all. Just a casual fan.

And while I’d love to spend many moons extrapolating and discussing all of his works, I think I’ll begin with an unlikely essay entitled “On Fairy-Stories.” It really is foundational and explanational (I’m allowed to do that, right?) to most of his later fiction, and it isn’t even about the Elvish languages! But before we dive in, I want to make sure I’ve given you an ultra-brief introduction to my good friend, John Ronald Ruel Tolkien. So here we go.

A Man of Singular Mind

One word I would use to describe Tolkien’s character is “committed.” He was committed to everything he put his mind to, including his first love, the Catholic church, his studies, and his craft. This trait enabled him to accomplish the wonderful things that make his legacy one-of-a-kind, despite various setbacks.

Committed to His First Love

Tolkien was born in 1892, and just four years later his father passed away. Tolkien (or “Ronald,” as he was called) was raised by his mother until her death when he was twelve years old. After that, Tolkien and his brother were cared for by Father Francis Morgan, the family’s Catholic priest. They eventually came to live in a boarding house where Tolkien met Edith Bratt, a lovely young pianist who was three years his senior. They became friends and, within two years, became interested in more than friendship. But, as with any good story, their love was about to be put to the test.

The problem was that Tolkien and Edith, then almost 18 and 21 respectively, would meet up in little towns and tea shops without a chaperone, which was frowned upon at that time. And since Tolkien was deeply committed to Edith, his grades and even his chances at a scholarship began to suffer. When Father Francis found out about Tolkien’s secret distraction, he asked Tolkien to stop seeing her socially so he could focus on his academics. When the young couple was spotted in town together again, Father Francis was forced to give Tolkien a strict command: he was not allowed to see or even communicate with Edith until his twenty-first birthday. And, shockingly, Tolkien obeyed. Both Edith and Tolkien moved away from the boarding house, and the three-year silence began.

Committed to His Church

At precisely midnight on his twenty-first birthday, Tolkien began crafting a letter to Edith, telling her of his unchanged affections toward her. Unfortunately, she replied that she was engaged to a farmer. Bummer. But in the end, he raced out to see Edith and convinced her to marry him instead. The catch, however, was that she would have to convert from Anglican to Catholic. He would not abandon the faith of his mother and of Father Francis.

She feared her family’s disapproval, but Tolkien was insistent. She must convert, or they could not marry. Convert she did, even though the uncle with whom she lived told her she would have to find somewhere else to stay until the wedding. She obliged, and in 1916 Edith and Ronald were married, just before Tolkien was sent to France in World War I. By then, Tolkien was twenty-four years old. He remained Catholic throughout his life.

Committed to His Studies

Sure, Tolkien’s studies took a back burner to his affections for Edith when they were younger, but once he took Father Francis’ injunction seriously, Tolkien became a dedicated scholar. He studied English Language and Literature at Oxford, continuing to pursue his education in the face of World War I. After he got the degree he was after, he enlisted in the Lancashire Fusiliers and fought in the French trenches for four months. When he contracted trench fever, he was sent back to England to recover and to serve at various stations on the home front.

When the war was over, he was accepted as Associate Professor of English Language at the University of Leeds. Later, he returned to Oxford as a Professor of Anglo-Saxon and later of English Language and Literature. These were pretty weighty appointments, but Tolkien tackled them head on, studying and tutoring to the best of his ability.

Committed to His Craft

While he was teaching at Oxford, Tolkien met C.S. Lewis. Cue the angelic chorus, please. These two literary geniuses took part in The Inklings, a literary club that helped spur them on to write more and better literature. While Tolkien didn’t exactly need encouragement to write—he had continued writing elvish languages and middle-earth backstories throughout the war and afterward—he did need encouragement to relinquish his manuscripts to the publisher. He was an eternal reviser, so his friends and publisher found it necessary to (nearly literally) wrench manuscripts out of his hands when they were “done enough.”

His book, “The Hobbit,” began as a story for his children, but after it was published, its popularity took everyone by surprise, including Tolkien. Soon there was a demand for “a new Hobbit.” Not surprisingly, The Silmarillion didn’t fit the bill, so it was back to the drawing board for Tolkien. Eventually, The Lord of the Rings was published as a trilogy, and the crowd went wild. This was also a surprise to everyone, but it has continued to be one of the most popular and influential fictional works of the century. In fact, it was so popular that Tolkien and Edith had to change their phone number and address to avoid the mob of fans. They lived out the rest of their lives together in moderate wealth and peace.

How He Done It

So how did a (rather obsessive) Oxford professor end up writing several works that have inspired generations of readers? Well, I could say that it’s just the mystery of the man or the magic of his poetry, but I believe there’s more to it than that. In fact, Tolkien himself basically describes the requisite ingredients to a successful, satisfying story of this sort. That’s right: he discusses it in the essay “On Fairy-Stories.”

And that, my friends, is why we’re going to begin looking at that masterpiece next week. Be sure to tune in!

Today’s Question: What is your favorite work by Tolkien, and why?

Check out the next post here!

Sources:
Doughan, David. “J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biographical Sketch.” The Tolkien Society, https://www.tolkiensociety.org/author/biography/.
Duriez, Colin. J.R.R. Tolkien: The Making of a Legend. Oxford, Lion Hudson, 2012.