Ant Similes in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings – an Analysis of Literary Technologies

Abstract

Abstract

This article investigates the use of similes in J.R.R. Tolkien’s writing as literary-technological design that partakes in traditional means for narrative meaning-making repurposed for his fantasy in The Lord of the Rings. I argue that by focusing intensely on these features in Tolkien’s textual design, it is possible to support ongoing scholarship on the literary influences and sources of Tolkien’s legendarium with a less directly comparative method. This approach can illuminate, on one hand, Tolkien’s strategies in deploying traditional literary technologies, and on the other hand, the purposive redesign of these technologies for the specific storytelling needs of his fantasy writing. My analysis focuses on a series of similes in The Lord of the Rings that compare orcs to ants, showing that the similes are applied with a consistent overall strategy that highlights an important thematic strand in Tolkien’s legendarium. Through this analysis, I demonstrate how the adaptive use of similes exemplifies the idea of purposive design. On a more interpretive level, I explore the functional envelope of the simile as a narrative technology, and its implications for meaning-making within Tolkien’s storyworld and beyond.