Reading Lord of the Rings could help prevent war, says prof

Ananova ^ | February 18, 2003 | Ananova

[MadIvan]

A leading German literature professor says that reading Tolkien's Lord of the Rings could help prevent war.

Thomas Kullmann, a 42-year-old professor from the University of Osnabrueck, said: "If adults read children's literature more often then we would probably live in a much more peaceful world.

"Fairy tales and other works for children may not be one-to-one with reality but they help excite the imagination. They give the reader new ideas that could even help solve political problems.

"Children's books can definitely help adults rethink a situation and help them assess political situations on a higher and even wiser level."

He added: "Tolkien's Lord of the Rings is a good example of a children's book that could help.

"It shows, in a spectacular way, how destroying an object can prevent world domination from one person or side."

[babyface00]

They give the reader new ideas that could even help solve political problems

Here's a new idea for Europe: STOP APPEASING MURDEROUS DICTATORS!

[MrLeRoy]

Now if the Hobbits had dominated MiddleEarth, what would have been the harm? Curly hair and great vegetables??

And pipeweed.

[Conspiracy Guy]

I guess I need to read the Lord of the Rings all over again. It must have been rewriten since the 60's. To me it seems to support the good vs evil blah blah blah. I guess I'll never be a "professor socialist clown too stoopid to get a real job" now. Could someone send me a Waaambulance.

[SquirrelKing]

"...destroying an object can prevent world domination..."


AP - Hans Blix and his team of UN weapons inspectors have completed their 287th month of searching for Sauron's Ring of Power. "There is still no smoking ring," Blix reported to an electrified crowd of journalists and international observers. In the streets of Minas Tirith hundreds of people protested the "warmongering" attitude of Aragorn "W" Arathorn and his insistence of a military build up of various armies of men, elves, dwarves and other vertically challenged peoples. Sauron Hussein has issued a statement that he loves everyone in middle earth and longs for nothing but peace and love to fill the land and that the billowing black couds coming from Mordor are merely gathering spring rains. He dispelled rumors of columns of Orcs massing beyond the mountains as simply being "some bunny rabbits and maybe a pony or two".

etc., etc., ad nauseum...

[justshutupandtakeit]

hmmmm pipeweed, aaarrrggghh.

Bet this numbnuts has equally insightful things to say about the rest of the world's great literature too. NOT.

[Prysson]

Yeah I seem to remember the specific message regarding the riders of rohan about how you couldnt just turn away from an evil. That evil must be confronted and destroyed or it will grow and eventually destroy you.

Seemed to be fairly clear in LotR.

[Restorer]

"A leading German literature professor says that reading Tolkien's Lord of the Rings" shows how appeasing Orcs / Nazis / Baathists leads to the near destruction of Freedom.

In the movie, more than in the book, the appeasement of Saruman almost leads to the destruction of Rohan. Only their final determination to stand and fight saves them.

[MrLeRoy]

Yeah I seem to remember the specific message regarding the riders of rohan about how you couldnt just turn away from an evil. That evil must be confronted and destroyed or it will grow and eventually destroy you.

Seemed to be fairly clear in LotR.

Indeed. Let's hope many people take the professor's advice and read the Lord of the Rings.

[ecurbh]

Ring Ping!!

[Alouette]

the Orcs in those movies have an uncanny resemblance to radical Muslim extremists.

[Apple Pan Dowdy]

"If adults read children's literature more often then we would probably live in a much more peaceful world. Fairy tales and other works for children may not be one-to-one with reality but they help excite the imagination"

I agree with all of you that this guy has NOT really read the book or understood it's message. But I think he was not speaking particularly about Lord of the Rings, but about childrens literature in general. As a liberal professor, you can imagine how he lives in his own little world of unreality while the world moves around him. He does not want to think about all the "yucky" stuff that abounds in the world. It's much better to touchy-feely-dream your way through life believing we can all hold hands, light candles and wish away the evil in the world. I think what he saw in LOTR is that perhaps we don't have to gather an army and fight, we can just find a "frodo" who can carry our woes to the edge of Mordor and toss them in the fire and all will be well again. Of course that was NOT the message of the Tolkien’s books. We know that the Frodo's journey took great courage, the backing of his friends, "divine" intervention.... I like to think that Frodo represents all of us who would do what it takes to oppose evil. And remember that there were parallel journeys going on... while Frodo was doing his thing, others in the Fellowship (by the 2nd book) were fighting their way past Sauron’s army.

Did any of you catch any of the Michael Jackson interview on TV last night? He has the Peter Pan syndrome, doesn't want to grow up, lives in own little carefully constructed world where he believes all is pure and good.... Just like the "nutty" professor who wrote this article, they are both Whacko!

[ancient_geezer]

Besides, I always assumed that wars were the result of men trying to get rich quick so they could buy wimen stuff,

Actually you have it wrong, men go to wars so wimen will throw themselves after them.

At least that's what my recruiter told me many years ago. Hard to say what their telling young men now days though.

[My back yard]

Well said.

the Lord of the Rings is anything but a children's book. This guy read The Hobbit, but not the Trilogy.

[camle]

LOTR a children's book? This guy is more ignorant than he seems.

[js1138]

But I think he was not speaking particularly about Lord of the Rings, but about childrens literature in general.

The most popular children's books of all time are the Harry Potter series. I suggest you read the last chapter of book four and tell us what it says about appeasement. Although I think the author had Hitler in mind, it tracks the current world situation perfectly.

[UncleSamUSA]

Ivan:
This German professor missed the ENTIRE point of ALL 1,112 pages (including Appendices) of the Lord of the Rings.

I mean the actions of all the main protagonists in this book are directed toward directly confronting Evil (in the form of Sauron and all his allies) and in destroying the very item which gives Evil its power.

You can even look upon Wormtongue as the book's analogue to Chirac, whispering in the ear of those who would confront evil that it is not worth the struggle and they should do nothing. And so on and so on. As Tolkien says, I think we should really resist the urge to see this entire story as a direct political allegory -- which Tolkien in the preface specifically and explicitly rejects.

However, what REALLY got me angry even more than the German prof's stupidity, was his calling this "Children's literature" as if it were "Little Red Riding Hood" or something of that ilk.

If by that he means a simple story, a feel-good story meant to make us all sit down and shout "Kumbaya" in unison, then he is not only stupid but a boor.

[Hoverbug]

Well done!! A classic.

[ewing]

[Luna]

Did this guy go to college and become a professor just to be this stupid?

Lord of the Rings is not children's literature. But it's a heck of a good story about Good fighting against Evil and WINNING!!!!!

Appeasement never overcame evil, Mr. Enlightened Professor. Read the books of Isaiah and Revelation. Lots in there about God destroying Babylon (evil), not appeasing it.