Leaf by Niggle

The always reliable and interesting Aesthetic Elevator is thinking aloud in his latest post-

"I struggle knowing when to sacrifice my own interests in art for the greater good of Christendom."

To which I reply, "Me, too.". The greater good of my family, my friends, my health, my finances...

Minds (shockingly) greater than mine have considered the question. I can't heartily or often enough recommend J.R.R. Tolkien's short story Leaf by Niggle to those artists who find themselves pondering thus. It is a meditation on the life of an artist (the title character, Niggle) and explores his responsibilities to his neighbors (the "greater good"), as well as their responsibility to him and his responsibility to his own art, as well as... well, it just explores a lot for a short story. And it's Tolkien.

I have found the complete text online before, but have lost track of the link. I'm also not certain about copyright questions, so I will leave the clever reader to find it on his/her own.

Comments

[The Aesthetic Elevator]

Will have to check this out ;-}

[Scott W.]

Also try "Smith of Wooten Major". Tolkien said he disliked allegory, but this one always struck me as pretty darn allegorical.

[Elijah]

'The Tolkien Reader' contains 'Leaf by Niggle', 'Farmer Guiles of Ham', the essay 'On Fairy Stories' as well as lots of AWESOME poetry, some featuring Tom Bombadil. Buy it!

[J.R. Stoodley]

The Tolkien Reader is awesome, and unlike most of this secondary Tolkien compilations was published in his lifetime so we know for sure he approved.

Don't forget it also includes 'The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm's Son'. It is one of my favorates and my theory is it among other things reflects his own inner conflict between his attraction to the old Germanic paganism and Catholicism.

[Scott W.]

On a related note, John C. Wright linked an older article on Tolkien, Jackson and pagan hopelessness here: http://lorenrosson.blogspot.com/2005/07/tolkien-vs-jackson-one-mans.html

I found it thoughtful and while it was critical of Jackson, it wasn't piling on like I see in many anti-Jackson screeds.

[Justin West]

Here is the text:
http://www.frodo.ru/library/tolkien/Leaf_by_Niggle.txt

[Tim J]

Thanks, Justin.