The Rings

As I was reading the article about the rings of Plato and Tolkien, something struck me so I thought I'd see how you guys felt about it.

When reading about all the different characters' reactions to the ring and its powers, a pattern seemed to appear. I'm not sure if this was just me or if the author intended it this way, but either way, it seemed that the characters who were safe from its corruption were characters portrayed as being content with their own, smaller place in the world. The characters who did go after the ring had good intentions. Boromir wanted to help his people; Frodo wanted to fulfill the quest set out for him. Both could be said to have gone about their mission in the wrong way, but that's not even really the route the author takes. Instead, he seems to focus on the knowledge and contentment of the others in knowing who they are and what their place is.

This seems to be so opposite what we're taught in every aspect of life. As students, we're encouraged to apply ourselves in all our work and make the most of our time here. As U.S. Citizens, we're encouraged to be all that we can be. (Yeah, cliché, sorry!) As a part of our society, we're encouraged to get raises, earn promotions, and excel in our area of expertise. Our way of life is built around the idea that through hard work, we can get anything we want, and that we deserve that! Even as Christians, we're taught to strive for perfection in ourselves. Nothing prepares us for a message telling us to simply accept our place and be content.

I'm not really arguing for or against one side or the other. Mostly, the pattern the author seemed to be making was different to me, so I thought I'd share with you and see what kind of responses I got! So if any of you actually have time to read through all of these posts, I'd love to hear your opinions!