Emerson in Mordor

So….yes, I am a huge fan of the Lord of the Rings. Unashamedly so. :)
I am taking a class this semester with Dr. Mitchell called “Christianity and Literature.” One of my favorite classes was on J.R.R. Tolkien (of course), and I just finished writing a big paper on him. Dr. Mitchell inspired me on one of the days he was in Honors class; it was the day we were talking about Emerson.

Sauron – the Great Eye – is the “transparent eye-ball.” Can you see it? Becoming one with nature…trusting yourself…removing all limits and constraints on yourself…self-reliant…resistance to follow…

“Let us inquire then, to what end is nature?” Emerson does not want to know the character of nature; he wants to know what how it can serve him. Sauron cares nothing for nature, people, or even the God of his universe. All he wants is dominion. He creates a land where he sees all, knows all, and controls all with the purpose of one day ruling the world.

Tolkien was battling the 20th century mindset when he wrote his trilogy. He recognized the danger in the beliefs of Emerson. The soul that needs no one besides itself, the individual that denies everything else but what it deems to be truth, becomes the terror of the world. It becomes the evil at the top of the tower, looking at the world with no desire other than to destroy it. There is no good, no love, no hope, and no purpose other than the ring of fire consuming everything it sees…even itself.