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Eight Things 'The Lord of the Rings' Taught Us

'The Lord of the Rings' is much more than just a novel or a movie. More accurately, it's not just a piece of entertainment, but rather a complex examination of what is to be a human.

By Peter HillPublished 5 years ago 4 min read
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Tolkien’s novels and Peter Jackson’s movies have their differences, but the heart of the story remains the same.

In fact, it turns out that there’s a lot that we can learn from Middle Earth. Here are just eight of the main lessons that we can learn from The Lord of the Rings.

Eight things The Lord of the Rings taught us:

1. "All that is gold does not glitter..."

In The Lord of the Rings, there’s a poem about Aragorn and his true identity that goes, “All that is gold does not glitter / Not all those who wander are lost; / The old that is strong does not wither, / Deep roots are not reached by the frost.” It’s a great reminder that sometimes looks can be deceiving and that there’s always something positive if you look hard enough.

2. Women are strong.

Tolkien was writing at a time at which it was rare for a male writer to pen strong female characters. That didn’t stop him from giving it a good go with Eowyn, though. That’s why, during the confrontation outside of Gondor, she’s able to kill the leader of the Nazgul. No man can kill him—but Eowyn is no man.

3. Victory is always possible.

During the siege of Helm’s Deep, it appeared as though the riders of Rohan were going to meet their end at the hands of a massive orc army. Legolas and Gimli kept each other’s spirits up by having a competition to see who could notch up the most kills, while Aragorn focussed on boosting morale amongst the troops. In the end, just when it looked as though the lines could never hold, reinforcements arrived—courtesy of Gandalf the White!

4. A new day will come.

Everyone’s favorite potato chef, Sam Gamgee, always had a little wisdom for any situation. In one of his best—or at least his most well-known—quotes, he could be mistaken for Albus Dumbledore. “Even darkness must pass,” he says. “A new day will come, and when the sun shines, it will shine out the clearer.”

5. Our differences make us stronger together.

The fellowship is arguably one of the most unlikely friendship groups in all of literature. Legolas and Gimli come from two races which have traditionally feuded, Aragorn is secretly a truer heir to the throne of Gondor than Boromir, and the four hobbits have never left The Shire. Despite these differences, they come together to create a whole that’s greater than the sum of its parts. Read some interesting information on Edu Birdie review, Papersowl review and Domywriting review.

6. We all need a mentor.

Gandalf isn’t necessarily the leader of the fellowship, but he is the group’s unofficial mentor. Without Gandalf’s help, many of the characters that we’ve come to know and love would never have reached their full potential. At the same time, Gandalf is wise enough not to simply give people a straight answer. Instead, he guides them to the realizations that they have to arrive at themselves.

7. You don’t have to go it alone.

Remember when Frodo sent Sam away after his faithful friend had traveled all of the ways to Mordor with him? Frodo tries to shoulder the burden of the ring alone, and he almost dies as a result of it. Even in the end, it’s only through Gollum that the ring is eventually destroyed. If Frodo had taken his trip alone, even if he’d made it to his final destination, he wouldn’t have been able to destroy the ring.

8. Sometimes you have to step up.

Frodo Baggins is a classic example of a reluctant hero. In fact, the only reason that he volunteers to take the ring to Mordor in the first place is that there’s no one else to do it. This is a reminder to us all that sometimes we just have to take responsibility, ourselves, and to step up to face a challenge, even when it’s not necessarily our responsibility.

Conclusion

As Olivia Sylpha, the HR of the best writing serviceNerdywriters, says, "There’s a reason why The Lord of the Rings is so popular and why it’s captivated generations of readers and moviegoers. At its heart, it’s a good old-fashioned fantasy novel, but it also has a lot to teach us when it comes to the world and the society that we live in."

With a bit of luck, the lessons that we’ve shared today will help you to re-evaluate your life and to make sure that you’re making the most of it. In the meantime, remember what Gandalf said: “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” It’s time for you to make your choice.

Peter Hill is one of the professional paper writers at the custom essay services like Essay Writing Land, Essay Writing Lab, and Ninja Essays.

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