This article was written in Zhihu column in 2018
Today's review of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The story of a ring reminds me of the great American Revolution , the ultimate confrontation between good and evil:
The Confederate troops who slaughtered black prisoners of war at Fort Pirro, the slave militiamen who slaughtered unarmed civilians at Lawrence, the vicious dogs that hunted down fugitive slaves, the The most despicable atrocities are said to be the most civilized and rational slavery lackeys, and can be seen as real-life versions of filthy orcs and corrupt Saruman.
And dwarves, elves, hobbits, treants, and humans are just like the big federation family. Within the federation, these ethnic groups, groups, and parties usually disagree with each other, and even infighting, in the military struggle with the enemy, also Encountered numerous failures and setbacks. But in the end, they, the Justice League, are still working together, uniting, believing in justice, upholding justice, not just fighting for their own (United States of America) survival, but also for the liberation of mankind and the eradication of authoritarian tyranny. war.
It is worth mentioning that, whether in the entire human history or in "The Lord of the Rings", it is difficult to find characters similar to abolitionists, who are neither slaves who were forced to rise up against slavery nor at the call of leaders. The soldiers fighting for justice, they are not the leaders of the Justice League, at least not the most important leaders. They just can't stand oppression, and sacrifice all of themselves in order to save others from suffering. These abolitionists were often philanthropists, social reformers, feminists, and even early socialists. How could they cry out for the liberation of slaves in other states while ignoring the poor around them? In fact, they built blind homes, orphanages, they didn't just want to free the slaves, they acted against all injustice, they supported the Europa Revolution of 1848, they joined forces with international justice, which in turn did the same help them.
The abolitionists were not the strongest, or even weak (relative to the state apparatus and slavery), but they had firm beliefs, and they were long before the full-scale war began (those great battlefields, countless martyr sacrifice), just persevering for a lofty goal, no matter how the situation changed, they persisted, bravely endured everything, and finally defeated the most powerful and tyrannical enemy. In fact, it was precisely because the abolitionists stood up and raised the banner of justice that the Justice League came into being, and it was precisely because the abolitionists were unswervingly moving toward their goals that they urged and encouraged and sustaining the Justice League.
In Boston, the birthplace of the revolution, the American Revolution that began in 1761 was to free the colonies from the oppression of the mother country, and the Americans liberated themselves. Also in this city on a hill, the revolutionary banner raised by the abolitionists in 1831 was to free mankind from the oppression of slavery, they liberated mankind. They fought for justice and truth, and for the sake of all mankind. They made huge sacrifices without expecting anything in return. The noble character of this group of people is rare in the entire human history. It is precisely because of these abolitionists that the revolutionary spirit of 1761 can be carried forward and continued, and America is even greater.
Of course, The Lord of the Rings has a happy happy ending. But history is often more complicated than fiction. It has no author to carefully arrange a perfect ending, nor does it take care of the emotions of readers and future generations. What it leaves is a precious legacy and thinking. After Abraham Lincoln's death, his successor, President Andrew Johnson, compromised with former slavery forces, and former Confederate reactionaries soon returned to power in the United States. Maybe Middle-earth will fall into the same situation after the Lord of the Rings' human king dies (either at the end of his life or in a sudden cataclysm). But don't forget, just as the Lord of the Rings has been thrown into the lava of Mount Doom, slavery has been eliminated after all.
One thing is for sure, and that is that both the story of The Lord of the Rings and the history of the American Revolution will continue to inspire future generations of warriors to give their lives to a just cause.
In my opinion, so far, the film that fully and accurately presents the vast history of the American Revolution from beginning to end is the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. If you're familiar with both the history of the American Revolution and the story of The Lord of the Rings, you won't be surprised by what I'm saying. The best part is that the novel I'm working on is really presenting the history of the American Revolution, rather than just being content with justified associations with The Lord of the Rings.
View more about The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring reviews
