J.R.R. Tolkien Biography - Essay Example

JRR TolkienJohn Tolkien is regarded the most talented writer in the English history. The talent aspect attached to his name comes from extra activities that he got involved in despite being a poet. In addition to his poetry, Tolkien was a philologist, university lecturer, an army officer and a fantasy worker. John Tolkien was born and brought up in a conservative British society, however his life demonstrate a degree of defiance from the society norms and lifestyles expectations. Thinking or acting above a society’s expectation is a key element in success.

This essay will investigate John Tolkien’s life and acts that were against the society’s expectations and norms. John Tolkien was born in England to a family of artisans. His father was an established artisan, a skill he had acquired from his parents (Gilliver and Marshall 87). During those days, an occupation was among the hereditary factors in a family lineage. It was therefore the expectations of the society that Tolkien would take after his father to become an artisan in England. To the surprise of many, Tolkien went into writing and he was good in what he did.

After the death of his parents, Tolkien remained in the guardianship of Francis Xaviers who lived in Birmingham. This meant that Tolkien had a good interaction with scholars from Birmingham. This involvement is believed to be the main factor that influenced his writing career and his involvement to the world of literature (Garth 23). Again, his school days were against the expectations of many people including his teachers and classmates. In school, Tolkien is remembered as the founder of T.C.B.S, which was a semi secret society.

The society was formed from members whose common interest was to drink tea. The association stayed alive even after Tolkien and his colleagues completed their education at Birmingham.Tolkien completed his education at the height of the World War I. It was then the society’s expectations for the youths to volunteer into military (White 75). However, Tolkien chose not to become a volunteer in the British army, but instead enrolled for a degree program. After completing his degree course Tolkien chose to join the military as a lieutenant instead of taking a civilian job (Zimrack web).

He retained his service to the military despite encountering first hand witness of execution his closest friend and college colleagues who served in the military. His ill health however prevented him from being deployed in the front line.After the end of World War I, Tolkien got his first job with the Oxford English dictionary where he worked on etymology of words (Chance 105). His work with the oxford English dictionary earned him a teaching position at Leeds University. He later became the youngest professor of Leeds in his time.

Although Tolkien was a dedicated academician and a writer, he had a keen interest on wars and matters of national interest. Although he once served in the military, he had a negative attitude concerning wars. He also objected other European ideologies such as Stalinism and imperialism. In addition, to the surprise of many Tolkien was totally against racism.In conclusion, Tolkien lived a successful life with a legacy. His thinking and actions that surpassed the expectations and norms of the society are the main source of his success.

His success and legacy is also attributed to the different lines of profession that he got involved with during his lifetime. Works CitedChance, Jane. Tolkien the Medievalist. London, New York: Routledge, 2003. Print.Garth, John. Tolkien and the Great War. Harper-Collins. 2003. Print. Gilliver, Peter and Marshall, Jeremy. The Ring of Words. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006. Print.White, Michael. Tolkien: A Biography. New York: New American Library, 2003. Print.Zimrack, John. The Tolkien Timeline. Gollum. 2003. Web.