War of the Fantasy Worlds: C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien on Art and Imagination

257 Pages·2009·0.72 MB·English

by  Martha C. Sammons

WAR OF THE FANTASY
WORLDS

WAR OF THE FANTASY
WORLDS
C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien
on Art and Imagination
Martha C. Sammons
P
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Copyright2010 byMartha C.Sammons
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Library ofCongressCataloging-in-Publication Data
Sammons,Martha C.,1949–
War ofthefantasy worlds:C.S. Lewis andJ.R. R. Tolkienonart and
imagination/ Martha C.Sammons.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references andindex.
ISBN978-0-313-36282-8(hardcopy:alk.paper)—ISBN978-0-313-36283-5
(ebook)
1.Fantasyfiction,English—Historyandcriticism—Theory,etc.
2.Lewis,C.S.(CliveStaples),1898–1963—Knowledge—Fantasyliterature.
3.Tolkien,J.R.R.(JohnRonaldReuel),1892–1973—Knowledge—Fantasy
literature.4.Creation(Literary,artistic,etc.) I.Title.
PR888.F3S36 2010
8230.0876609—dc22 2009032313
ISBN:978-0-313-36282-8
EISBN:978-0-313-36283-5
14 13 12 11 10 1 2 3 4 5
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Contents
Introduction ix
1 TheArtist 1
Influences 1
Inklings 4
Tolkien’sWork 4
Lewis’sWork 8
‘‘ItReallyWon’tDo’’ 12
Tolkien’sProcess 15
Lewis’sProcess 17
2 Art 21
TolkienonFairyTales 21
LewisandtheFairyTaleForm 24
Audience 26
GoodFairyTales 30
ScienceFiction 32
Fantasy 36
vi Contents
Imagination 37
Sub-Creation 41
3 Applications 45
TheSilmarillion 45
Elves 50
TheMythofDeepHeaven 52
Oyeresu,Eldila,andMalacandranCreatures 55
Evil 59
Magic 61
4 ArtTheoriesandMetaphors 65
LiteraryTheory 65
Romanticism 69
Coleridge 71
GeorgeMacDonald 71
MedievalModels 74
MetaphorsforArt 83
Tolkien,Lewis,andPlato 110
5 AchievingOtherWorlds 117
SecondaryWorldFantasy 117
Tolkien’sSecondaryWorlds 121
Lewis’sSecondaryWorlds 127
Style 133
Language 137
6 AllegoryandApplicability 143
Heroes 143
MoralLaws 145
Allegory 147
Tolkienand‘‘Applicability’’ 152
LewisandSupposition 156
LewisandChristianElements 158
TolkienandLewisasChristianWriters 162
7 AdvantagesofFantasy 165
Recovery 165
Escape 169
FulfillmentofDesires 172
Contents vii
Myth 178
Eucatastrophe 186
TheGreatStory 188
Notes 193
Bibliography 223
Index 231

Introduction
C
. S. Lewis remarked to J. R. R. Tolkien, ‘‘There is too little
of what we really like in stories. I am afraid we shall have
to write some ourselves.’’ The result was a new type of
novel that presents the spiritual and ‘‘mythopoeic’’ in a popular for-
mat. Their books have been described as ‘‘theologized science fic-
tion,’’ ‘‘alternative theology,’’ ‘‘religious fantasy,’’ and so on.
Religious fantasy integrates aspects of Christianity with elements of
fantasy and science fiction. However, the ‘‘religious’’ element varies,
as well as the forms. Lewis and Tolkien disagreed about the role and
nature of the writer and degree to which religious elements should
appear in a story.
It is estimated that The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of
Narnia have each sold more than 100 million copies of their numer-
ous editions. Tom Shippey places The Lord of the Rings in the top
tier of most influential books of the century, including both
Tolkien’s influence on the fantasy genre and as a literary classic.
Tolkien’s works have made modern fantasy both a popular and