JRRT as a hobbit

[Gullinkambi]

Hello Corey, first off, I am really enjoying both The Return of the Shadow and the beginning of the "Exploring The Lord of the Rings." Kudos to you!

Second, having been a Tolkien fan since i was really young (trying to read the Silmarillion and the Letters before i was in high school was a mistake (no, wait, not a mistake, an error in timing)), one thing that always bothered me was Tolkien's self-identification as a hobbit (can't find the interview where that was said, but i know it's out there) and then, by extension, other people sort of glomming onto the idea that Hobbits are worthy of being emulated.

Your deep-dive into Shire/Hobbit culture in these first few episodes has been wonderful and, in light of what you are showing about their "lesser" qualities, it throws that comment by Tolkien into an entirely new light. He wasn't saying that he was made of sterner stuff than it seemed or that he was a hero just waiting for his chance. He was saying that, basically, he was a provincial man with simple tastes, tastes which included beer, gosssip, and mean jokes amongst friends.

Just wanted to share this. Thanks!
Stephen

 

[Cirthrin]

Did he not primarily identify with Beren Erchamion, and his wife with Luthien Tinuviel ?

He requested his oldest son to engrave these names on his tombstone:

 

[Gullinkambi]

Hi Cirthrin, thanks for responding and nice photo! I've actually never seen a picture of it before... and, now that i think about that, that too is odd (never having seen a photo). However, no, i don't think that's right. I think that he associated the love between he and Edith with the love shared between B&L, but i have a hard time picturing him associating himself with Beren, the greatest of human heroes.

There is a very specific and famous interview with JRRT in which he says something along the lines of, "I am basically a hobbit." I need to find the actual quotation... internet deep-dive, here i come!