But, at the same time, you have that element of ambiguity in the fact that this is a story he is writing-- is he constructing this "reality" because *his* reality is just not measuring up?
Exactly--my idea, both here and in my previous 1916/3019 piece, is that Tolkien (my fictionalized conception of him, that is) created a world of beauty, moral certainty and purpose out of reaction to the ambiguity and modern ugliness he encountered in the trenches. At the Somme, it makes total sense to despair, and so in the Ring War he gets to construct a situation in which despair is a result of madness and misunderstanding. But his own character challenges him in that (and in Altariel's drabble, Denethor is, indeed, correct).
Dif you ever see Pan's Labyrinth? I don't know why I was reminded of that when I read your awesome Drabble pair; I think it is that well-crafted element of ambiguity that you handle so well here
I did! Great movie, and I can kind of see the parallels here, with a character retreating into a fantasy world in order to cope with unbearably horrific reality. I've actually not read that particular Marquez book, but I should, since I've enjoyed all the other stuff I've read by him.
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But, at the same time, you have that element of ambiguity in the fact that this is a story he is writing-- is he constructing this "reality" because *his* reality is just not measuring up?
Exactly--my idea, both here and in my previous 1916/3019 piece, is that Tolkien (my fictionalized conception of him, that is) created a world of beauty, moral certainty and purpose out of reaction to the ambiguity and modern ugliness he encountered in the trenches. At the Somme, it makes total sense to despair, and so in the Ring War he gets to construct a situation in which despair is a result of madness and misunderstanding. But his own character challenges him in that (and in Altariel's drabble, Denethor is, indeed, correct).
Dif you ever see Pan's Labyrinth? I don't know why I was reminded of that when I read your awesome Drabble pair; I think it is that well-crafted element of ambiguity that you handle so well here
I did! Great movie, and I can kind of see the parallels here, with a character retreating into a fantasy world in order to cope with unbearably horrific reality. I've actually not read that particular Marquez book, but I should, since I've enjoyed all the other stuff I've read by him.