In part 1 of this series, we explored the concepts of the night watchman state and anarchy in the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Now I would like to look at how Tolkien talked about power, its temptation, the pitfalls of wielding it over others, and how it is ultimately destroyed.
Tolkien and the Night Watchman State
Tolkien was a brilliant man who spent much of his adult life as a professor of philology at Oxford University. In addition to his literary genius, Tolkien was also a strong supporter of personal liberty. This article will attempt to examine a very specific area in which Tolkien’s political views seem to spill over into his world of Middle Earth.