The Comedy of Enchantment in the Lord of the Rings (Critical Essay‪)‬

Abstract: In this article, J. R. R. Tolkien's conception of the "enchantment" of fantasy as articulated in his essay "On Fairy-Stories" is initially discussed in relation to the Catholic imagination and its inclination toward inspiring a comedic narrative. In The Lord of the Rings, among others, it is incorporated through the enchanted hierarchical structure of Middle-earth that inspires some of its benign inhabitants, especially the hobbits, to "rightly order their lives" in terms of community and their attitude toward death, and likewise creates a universe "hospitable to the humane." Tolkien's comedic narrative also awakens readers from the complacency that typically accompanies the contemporary spirit of disenchantment and helps readers in seeing their world anew. **********