The Death and Immortality of Mortal Men in “The Lord of the Rings” – Mere Orthodoxy

The Death and Immortality of Mortal Men in J.R.R Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings

By

Jacqueline Wilson

In a letter addressed to Dr. Rhona Beare, on October 14^th, 1958, J.R.R. Tolkien states that The Lord of the Rings, “is mainly concerned with Death, and Immortality.” ^{He also notes in a letter to Robert Burchfield on December 2nd, 1953 that, “The Lord of the Rings is of course a fundamentally religious and Catholic work; unconsciously so at first, but consciously in the revision.” These are shocking themes for such a popular book—a book that is listed as the second most popular fantasy of all time, selling over 150 million copies worldwide since it was first published. We live in a culture that avoids death so much that many die alone in hospitals or hospices, and once they have died, their bodies are prepared for viewing by hired professionals who strive to make the corpse look as if it were a living body that is simply sleeping. Furthermore, we live in an age where the…}