Tolkien’s Environmental Perspective in The Lord of the Rings

Word Count: 4,343

Without nature, The Lord of the Rings would lose much of what makes it appealing to its readers. The detailed, beautiful descriptions of the various landscapes throughout the book maintain a sense of other-worldliness that is at the same time overwhelmingly familiar. The aesthetics of the book are dependent on these passages. The movies, set against gorgeous New Zealand backdrops, further set the stage for the unfolding of the story. In the book, the characters are also deeply connected to nature, which reaffirms their various personalities and gives the reader a clue of each character’s tendencies and emotions. Nature, and the absence of nature, is also utilized to portray the war of good versus evil, which is parallel to nature versus technology. In The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien utilizes nature, and his profound love of nature, to create a world that harkens to an environmental warning, and therefore, connects the reader to the story and its characters in a deeper, more meaningful, and effective way.

The Lord of the Rings is well-known for its elaborate descriptions of nature. These set up the book in a way that is visually appealing to the mind’s eye, and resounds a deep chord in the recognition of the reader. It also is a perfect vehicle for Tolkien to use in beginning to familiarize the reader with his eco-friendly views. One example of Tolkien’s descriptions comes from a section in which the Rohirrim, Gimli, and Legolas are riding to Helm’s Deep:

There were no clouds overhead yet, but a heaviness was in the air; it was hot for the season of the year. The rising sun was hazy, and behind it, following it slowly up the sky, there was a growing darkness, as of a great storm moving out of the East. And away in the North-west there seemed to be another darkness brooding about the feet of the Misty Mountains, a shadow that crept down slowly from the Wizard’s Vale” (III/7).

Opening to any chapter or section in the book, the reader will come across endless beautiful images of nature. Without the locations mentioned, the above passage could easily be mistaken as a scene from our own world, in which the air is heavy, and the day proves to be hot and stormy. This connects the reader to the book in a clever way, by integrating a key element of human existence into the book. By doing so, the reader is able to make the transition from reality to the fantastic (Brisbois 199). There is a “profound presence of the natural world,” in which Nature itself is almost another character (Defending ME 50). The reoccurrence of the word “shadow” throughout the book is a constant reminder that Middle-earth is NOT our home, and that Sauron is growing more powerful, creeping into the beauty of nature and threatening to overwhelm its presence. The detail is used as a tool to visualize Middle-earth as well as to project the events of the story (and Sauron’s actions and growing power) onto the backdrop to further emphasize the far reach of destruction in the book. As one of Tolkien’s scholars notes:

Nature in The Lord of the Rings serves as the basic element of the imaginary world the reader perceives. The representation of nature in The Lord of the Rings is at once comforting in its familiarity and Fantastic in its personifications (Bribois 197).

In this way, we are given a familiar scene which connects us to the book and makes us feel at home, and then have it snatched away as we are presented with unfamiliar natural scenes in which nature actually reflects the changes taking place in the story. In this way, we are treading on a new territory: we come to understand that the story is familiar or identifiable to our own, but at the same time we realize that Middle-earth has its own fantastic identity, which will forever surpass the natural images of our own earth.

One other way in which we are introduced to the contrasting familiarity and unfamiliarity of Middle-earth is in its precision in naming. In the book, there are about 400 place-names in non-English languages: the names are unfamiliar, but the geographic features are easily recognizable and identifiable; these are the means of Tolkien to express his love of languages. The meanings behind the names do make sense to the reader as they have a ringing of truth and “rightness” to them because of their connotations. The naming of places gives the story “history and integrity” and reflects Tolkien’s love of England and “sense of place” (Curry).

Nature in itself is also vital to our understanding of the text, in that it is its own character and has its own variety of personalities. Nature is sometimes hard to read in its actions, but much of the time has strong reasoning and motives for its “behavior.” It is sometimes irrational, though, just like a human being. By anthropomorphizing nature, humans are able to grasp its concept better. This device is often used in other works to bring concepts across to the reader, for example the personification of God, the angels, and Satan in Paradise Lost. At times, these ideas are difficult for human beings to grasp as they are illusive and beyond our realm of understanding. By personifying Nature, it is brought down to a level on which we can relate: in that it is given human emotions and reasoning.

Other aspects of Nature are given physical human characteristics to enable us to visualize what we are having so much difficulty grasping. In The Lord of the Rings, nature generally punishes the bad. One example of this was the mountain Caradhras hindering the Fellowship’s crossing of the mountain, but not detaining them in their mission. Many of the Fellowship refer to the mountain as a living thing: “ ‘Ah, it is as I said, growled Gimli. It was no ordinary storm. It is the ill will of Cadarhras. He does not love Elves and Dwarves, and that drift was laid to cut off our escape’” (II/3). Old Man Willow also attacks the harmless hobbits, who it sees as killers of trees and nature. Nature seems to tend to bond together in the face of adversary, in that all of its parts work in unison to dissuade those who injure it or put it in danger.

Each forest in Middle Earth also has its own unique personality (Defending ME 51). These forests include Lothlorien, the Huorns, the Old Forest, and many others. Nature is not romanticized, in that there are certain trees who are threatening, dangerous, and outright evil (for example, Old Man Willow). Therefore, individual trees have importance in the story and further the diversity and interesting nature of the story. The tree in Minas Tirith’s courtyard is an example of the importance that each tree plays in the story. It is a descendent of Telperion the White, which is a “tree of life” in Tolkien’s mythology, along with Laurelin the Golden. Both trees held the first light of the universe, and preceding their death bore the Sun and the Moon as fruit. Their light is also visible in Earendil (Venus), and is contained in the glass which Frodo is given to by Galadriel. By this example of the significance of a specific tree, the reader can understand how complex the story is and how each detail of nature is important and connects the story in a unique and interesting way, giving it a sense of history as well.

The characters of The Lord of the Rings are deeply connected to the land on which they live. This is apparent in their comfort in certain places and their discomfort in others. As stated in Curry’s article, “…most of the races are closely tied to a particular geography and ecology…” (Ideology 127–28). This is also true for human beings- the way in which we identify with a particular piece of land and where we came from is similar to the love of “home” (specific areas of Middle-earth) that the characters have, and their delight of homecoming or stumbling upon similar landscapes that resound their homeland.

Hobbits, for example, are closely tied with the Shire. The Shire is often seen as an idealized nature, a kind of pastoral paradise, for example, “the parochial and placid hobbits return from their travels to find their rural idyll in their native land, “the Shire,” desecrated by industrialization…” (Letcher 153). While many of the critics seem to think so, Flieger points out that Old Man Willow goes after the hobbits in the Fellowship regardless of whether they are good or bad. Although the hobbits tend to the earth and seem to live amongst it in perfect balance, there is still “tilled earth” in the Shire, not old, ancient wildlife and woods. Therefore, Old Man Willow is only acting against those who act against him and his kin. “In fact or fiction, where there are people, trees are in danger” (Flieger 150). Even so, this is an extreme viewpoint, as the hobbits do not destroy nature intentionally as Saruman does, or kill living things for unsound or nonexistent reasoning. It is quite the opposite: the hobbits seem to live in a world between industrialized madness and untamed wilderness. This is obviously still seen as a violation to Old Man Willow, who can not distinguish between friend or foe where hobbits are concerned.

Frodo (and, subsequently Gandalf) are the only wanderers with no true home in Middle-earth. At no point in the book does Gandalf show any bias toward a particular area of Middle-earth. Frodo, in contrast, begins in the Shire but must have some urge to leave it to be able to go on his quest. He often laments about his homecoming, but when he does return he realizes that it is no longer “home” because he is so affected by what has happened. He comes to realize that he does not belong in Middle-earth anymore, and decides to leave for the Grey Havens with Gandalf and the others whom are not at home in Middle-earth.

The Ents, as an example of a type of anthropomorphized nature, are deeply tied to the forest of Fangorn, probably to the most extreme as any character is bound to his or her home. The Ent and the Entwife counter gender stereotypes of the male being more active, and the female more passive. It is the complete opposite of this as reflected in the song which Treebeard sings. When Treebeard speaks of the Ents’ superiority to Elves and Men, he speaks of the values of the Ents, such as humility, being “changeable,” and also their steadiness of mind. These values are deeply contradicted in the song of the Ent and the Entwife, as both fail miserably at humility and their steadiness is seen more as stubbornness. It is a sad state of affairs, as “The Ents and the Entwives, if unified, would balance and complete each other” (Olsen 46). Yet, they are so reluctant to yield toward the other that they risk the very destruction of their own species for lack of procreation. “The danger that the Ents face is to tallow their patient communion with nature to lapse into mere lassitude” (Olsen 46). It is obvious that both the Ents and Entwives love the land deeply, but in different ways:

“The Ent and the Entwife have allowed their love for their lands, itself a good thing, to skew their priorities. They have become so entrenched in their own ways of thinking that they have forgotten their dependence on each other and shared destiny. They have devoted themselves so completely to that which they love in Middle-earth that they will not turn toward the higher and greater world for which they are destined (Olsen 51).”

This brings forth quite a different view of ecology and awareness in that the Ent and the Entwife are being warned that their obsessions with their natural world are clouding their realization of the “big picture,” or what exists outside of their forest and outside of Middle-earth. They reflect two different environmental perspectives: the Ents are “preservationists,” who value Nature for nature’s sake and maintaining its original form, and the Entwives are “conservationists,” who believe in managing the earth without destroying it (40). Both views are viable, although Tolkien seems to lead toward the preservationist view and regard the Ents as more close to his vision of an environmentalist. Even with this tendency for us to sympathize more with the Ents, the real point in this section of the book is how easy it is to be swept away by one’s personal beliefs. Believing in something is important, but not compared to the overall view of things, such as the dependence on a race for its future generations. In The Lord of the Rings, the Ents come to defy their disinclination toward action and destroy Isengard when told of Saruman’s manipulation. At first reluctant to act in any way, they immediately decide to rise up against the enemy because he is threatening that which they value most: their home in Fangorn.

Tom Bombadil is also very connected with his home, the Old Forest. He is an interesting character who has been widely debated amongst literary circles. Tom is often seen as a sort-of “nature spirit” who is incapable of destroying Sauron. He is also uninterested in doing so because he is more concerned for the earth as a whole than the affairs of men and other creatures at this small moment in time. As Light says, “From Tom’s perspective, attuned to natural cycles, the welfare of individuals does not matter as much as the sustainability of the continuing and evolving processes of nature” (Light 158). Tom is ancient, as ancient as the woods or even more so, and therefore, would not fight Sauron unless Sauron directly attacked his home. The Ring does not affect him because he is “clearly the moral opposite of Sauron. He has no desire for power, no will to dominate” (Treschow and Duckworth 187). As Tolkien says, he is a “natural pacifist” and:

“…he also has a thorough understanding of his land and his lady. The whole bearing of his life is to serve them. Indeed, as a nature spirit he would seem to be bound to his own locale and to be wholly content therein. He knows his place because he is as rest with it” (Treschow and Duckworth 190).

He is more of “the embodiment of an idea” (Treschow and Duckworth 191) than anything else. In contrast to the Ents, his disinterest with the war is not placed in a negative light. He is simply accepted for being this way, as he seems to be the exception and the one who is completely out of place in Middle-earth with its wars and its “petty” battles. This is due to his ancient beginnings, as one who is completely in touch with the universe and his own specific place in that universe.

Legolas (representing the Elves), and Gimli (the dwarves), also are connected to their own specific parts of nature. Legolas has a profound understanding of trees and seems most at home when the Fellowship is treading through forests. He is also the only one who seems interested in exploring Fangorn further. Gimli is deeply connected to the mountains, and is at home in Moria when no one else is comfortable there. He shows respect for the mountains when he says that he would never mine them or destroy their beautiful stone, but would be gentle and maintain a respectfulness. When the party of Legolas, Gimli, Aragorn, and the Rangers enter the Haunted Mountain, Gimli is shown to be very uncomfortable, and his perspective frames the scene:

“And there stood Gimli the Dwarf left all alone.
His knees shook, and he was wroth with himself. ‘Here is a thing unheard of!’ he said. ‘An Elf will go underground and a Dwarf dare not!’” (V/2).

Through this, the sense of unrest in the other members of the party is heightened, and the precariousness of the situation is enhanced. For a character such as Gimli to feel so out of place somewhere that he should be naturally inclined toward, (the Haunted Mountain), it is made obvious that the situation is extreme and that the others are even more uncomfortable than he is.

Tolkien also uses the concept of nature as a warning against the evils of mankind and their desire to “rule the world” through manipulation and power. The depiction of the Enemy, Sauron, those connected to him, and the various landscapes associated with the Enemy make the reader further understand the extent of their destruction and carry a warning of what could very well happen (and is happening) throughout the globe. Tolkien was also well-known for his concerns about the dwindling English countryside, which was a reasonable concern. It shows through in the passion of his work, and its multiple layers of meaning, and connection to the real world crisis of dwindling wilderness.

With the early introduction of agriculture and the dominance of Christianity, humankind began its spiraling path toward its own self destruction. As Johnson clarifies, agriculture is a means of controlling the environment, and Christianity introduces the idea of humans as superior to the earth and its other inhabitants. Humans have the ability to reason, speak, and also possess souls, which plants and animals appear to lack. Ever since the Industrial Revolution, nature has been increasingly viewed as an obstruction to “progress,” which needs to be eliminated for that progress to occur. As technology progresses, nature is sacrificed, in that “the environment cannot regenerate fast enough to replace what the society draws from it” (Johnson 35). As our natural resources are being quickly used up, humankind will possibly see that what it is losing from progress is much more than what it is gaining (Johnson).

Frodo and Sam in Mordor yearn for water and nature the most. The absence of nature furthers the descriptions of the place, and adds to its horror and ghastliness:

“Day was coming again in the world outside, and far beyond the glooms of Mordor the Sun was climbing over the eastern rim of Middle-earth; but here all was still dark as night. The Mountain smouldered and its fires went out. The glare faded from the cliffs. The easterly wind that has been blowing ever since they left Ithilien now seemed dead… scrambling among rock and briar and dead wood in the blind shadows…” (VI/2).

It is apparent that all of the beauty and culture are lost along with the loss of nature. The continual repetition of words associated with the opposite of life, or a lack of life, such as “faded,” “dead,” and “blind” remind the reader that this place is pure evil and that Nature has almost given up trying to survive here. This makes the reader wonder if this is what our earth is coming to.

As Frodo and Sam move along on their journey, the closer that they get to Mordor, the more it becomes a “blighted industrial wasteland.” Life is cheap, and there is a certain sense of “ecocide” (which is a combination of the root words for “home” and “kill”). The Ring is revealed to be a form of addiction, which many of the readers will be able to relate to. Another aspect of the Enemy which many of us can connect to is that the weak are the first to go. Men are spared in that they have the ability to fight, but women, the elderly, and children are primary targets to the Enemy at first. This violation of a natural law of fighting shows how evil Sauron truly is. The destruction of the weak, and the attack against those who are defenseless and not on the same level as them reveals Sauron and his followers as the dirty players which they are. Mordor is also similar to death camps, in that they (the Orcs) are all slaves to some power higher to them, and are driven due to fear or hatred, or both.

The Ring itself can be viewed as a mega machine: there is no greater power than the Ring in the material realm (excluding love and hope, etc.). Its transformative power is unavoidably destructive to all forms of life. The physical absence of Sauron in The Lord of the Rings, replaced by his representation in the eye and the Ring, suggests that the mega machine is not controlled by one specific person. In our world, no one person defines or controls progress or technology (Johnson). This is what makes progress and Sauron so terrifying. It is more difficult to fight an idea or concept than a person, especially if that concept (technological progress) is supported by countless people and institutions. Also, Sauron wants to use the Ring to make Middle-earth into a place of sameness. The beauty of various cultures and peoples will no longer exist there without Nature and its variances.

Saruman, according to Treebeard, “has betrayed the natural world with which he used to have an intimate relationship in the times before his fall..” Also, “The story of Saruman is that of another fall, from a desire to understand nature’s complexity into a yearning to dominate it” (Carretero-Gonzalez 156). As Sauron dominates the world and attempts to control nature, so does Saruman. Saruman uses his power in an unhealthy way to obtain his ultimate goal of ruling over everything, including Sauron (which he obviously can not do, and will not, ever happen). This is an example of his quest for knowledge which is to the extreme. When Saruman tempts Gandalf (when he has him imprisoned in the tower of Isengard), he says that he is offering him gain in “Knowledge, Rule, [and] Order” (II/2). This brings forth some recent issues of whether there is an end to knowledge, and entertains the possibility that there is only so much that a human being should know, and other things which only God should understand. In The Lord of the Rings, genetic engineering is reflected in the creation of the Uruk-hai, whose sole purpose is to serve Saruman to their death. This raises many other complicated issues which people are considering today, such as stem cell research and cloning. One wonders whether these are violations of nature, or human beings have a reasonable right to such knowledge.

Ultimately, Nature and good people are on the same side! (Simply look at the ending of the story). As one scholar says: “…although they had to pay the price of seeing evil brought home, nature rewarded them fully. In the Third Age of Tolkien’s Middle-earth, the natural world and the Free Peoples who try to overthrow evil are definitely on the same side” (Carretero-Gonzalez 157). This is some consolation to us as the book unfolds, although we never know as readers whether the good will come out higher in the end. This does show, though, that those on the side of Nature have a better chance of survival and achieving what they desire. Even so, “ultimately all does not end well. The end of the Third Age is a time of fading for many of the races of Middle-earth… The time of the Men has begun” (Johnson 67). As Johnson points out further, the conclusion of The Lord of the Rings is not necessarily a joyous one. Men in the novel appear to be the most susceptible to corruption by the Ring, and it is terrifying to imagine what the world will be like without the races which are more connected to nature, such as the Elves and the Ents.

Nature is used in The Lord of the Rings for various reasons. These reasons differ from aesthetic quality to showing the difference between good and evil. Through the use of detailed natural descriptions, characterization through the linking of characters to their natural habitats, and the contrast between the natural and the technological, the reader is able to move beyond the realistic aspects of the story into the more fantastic realm, while at the same time maintaining a sense of familiarity and warning. It is obvious that the story of Frodo and the crisis in Middle-earth echoes the ecological dilemma that the world is now facing, and warns of the possibility of a Mordor on earth. The increase of populations, deforestation, the extinction of species, cryogenics, and many other issues facing today’s world brings forth the strong desire in mankind to dominate over everything, even Nature. “Strong and free societies value and protect their natural contexts (including sacred places), which return that trust by protecting and supporting them. Realizing this and acting on it, there is hope” (Defending ME 71). This is clearly seen in the renewal of the Shire at the conclusion of The Lord of the Rings, which gives a sense of hope to our situation.

Even so, we must realize that “ ‘what must be conserved before anything else is the desire in ourselves for Home-for harmony, peace and love, for growth in nature and in our imaginative powers- because unless we keep this alive, we shall lose everything” (Ideology 135, Curry quoting Fraser Harrison). Human beings must also be able to realize the significance of our impact upon the rest of the world and existence on this planet, as there are many other ecosystems and beings at risk because of our hazardous behavior. A reader of The Lord of the Rings would hope that Planet Earth will hear the message of Tolkien. The sad alternative would be to simply give in to the desire to dominate and the draw to power, and ultimately become a Second Mordor. We can clearly see that Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings is valued not only for its immense literary worth, but for its worth as cautionary tale and the reflection of our own situation.

Works Cited

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