Podcast #272: C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and the Myth of Progress| The Art of Manliness

Both The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia are filled with epic battles between the forces of good and evil. What many people don’t realize is that the authors of these two works — J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, respectively — had firsthand experience with war themselves. Both fought in the bleak trenches of World War I and both were dramatically shaped by that experience in a way that would influence their later work. My guest today, Joseph Loconte, explores the history of Tolkien’s and Lewis’ battlefield experience and how it influenced their viewpoints and writing careers. Loconte is a professor of history at King’s College and the author of A Hobbit, A Wardrobe, and a Great War. On today’s show, Joseph and I discuss what C.S. Lewis called the “Myth of Progress” that had swept the Western World leading up to the First World War, why it contributed to the war’s catastrophic damage, and how the myth shaped both Lewis’ and Tolkien’s views about good, evil, and warfare. We then get into detail about Tolkien’s and Lewis’ battlefield experience and how it inspired specific characters and scenes in their respective works. We end our conversation about how the fantasy work of these writers carved a middle path between cynicism and unbridled optimism while simultaneously showing readers that even the lowliest of individuals can play a decisive role in the great adventure of life. If you’re a fan of The Lord of the Rings or The Chronicles of Narnia, you don’t want to miss this episode. Follow us! https://ift.tt/YAd15k http://twitter.com/artofmanliness