Happy Downfall of Sauron Day! Here’s an Essay on Frodo, the Ring, and Good & Evil

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Happy Downfall of Sauron Day! Remember to think before you shoot—no, that’s a different fictional holiday. Coronavirus has cancelled my annual March 25th bask in the California spring, so I thought I’d celebrate with a substantial essay online instead. This is also a red-letter year in the LotR-verse in my mind: the 40th anniversary of the War of the Ring. (I’ve been counting this in real years since approximately high school, which, no, was not 40 years ago. My imagination had already gotten about 15 years past the war.) Finally, being back in therapy, I have been grappling with Issues, and I’m going to use LotR to talk about them, sans personal details.

With Issues in mind, I want to talk about Frodo and the Ring and the nature of evil. This train of thought arises out of discussion with my therapist over my need to develop a more stable sense of self-identity, particularly surrounding my assessment of how good or bad a person I am. So let me lay that all over Frodo… (LotR spoilers follow, if you care.)Read more… )

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About the author

Arwen Spicer
Arwen Spicer

Arwen Spicer is a science fiction writer and writing teacher raised in the San Fransciso Bay Area, and Northern California will hold her heart forever, even if it turns into a desert. She wrote her doctoral dissertation on ecology in utopian science fiction and is an educator on the concept of workable utopias. Her novel The Hour before Morning was hailed as “A carefully paced, rewarding sci-fi debut” by Kirkus Indie.

Arwen Spicer By Arwen Spicer

Arwen Spicer

Arwen Spicer

Arwen Spicer is a science fiction writer and writing teacher raised in the San Fransciso Bay Area, and Northern California will hold her heart forever, even if it turns into a desert. She wrote her doctoral dissertation on ecology in utopian science fiction and is an educator on the concept of workable utopias. Her novel The Hour before Morning was hailed as “A carefully paced, rewarding sci-fi debut” by Kirkus Indie.

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