The Lord of the Rings. A story for all time: part 2
During the quest, he starts to understand himself, and some of the mysteries of life, better. In this way, the book echoes some of the oldest stories in Europe - the King Arthur myths. In these, the humble peasant Perceval is the only one of Arthur's knights brave and pure enough to find the Holy Grail, the cup that Jesus once drank from. After a dangerous quest of many years he finally achieves peace and satisfaction. The vast good and evil armies in The Lord of the Rings also, echo John Milton's Paradise Lost (1667) - the ultimate battle between good and evil in which the main characters are God and the Devil Many critics now look back on The Lord of the Rings as an allegory of the two World Wars when brave small countries defended themselves against fascist dictators and their armies. Some even see the One Ring as symbolizing man's control of the nuclear bomb. The book has also helped to shape other, more modem myths. Both the Star Wars films and the Harry Potter books have similarities to The Lord of the Rings, with their plots based around the attractiveness of the dark side, and their small heroes battling evil opponents much more powerful than themselves.
Part 1
Part 1