On Fairy-Stories Literary Elements

Nonfiction, explanatory essay

The essay was first given as a lecture at the University of St. Andrews in 1939, but the essay was first published in its finished form by Oxford in 1947.

As a nonfiction essay, the work is from the objective first-person perspective of J.R.R. Tolkien himself, a prominent twentieth-century fantasy writer and academic.

Objective, pedagogical, explanatory

N/A

In this essay, Tolkien attempts to clear up confusion about the nature of a 'fairy-story,' arguing for a specific definition as well as for a universal relevance, stating that fairy tales should have applicability for adults as well as (and perhaps even more so than) for children.

At the end of the essay, Tolkien relates his theory of consolation and eucatastrophe to human life, specifically through the lens of Christianity, arguing that the resurrection of Jesus Christ was the focal point and ultimate "sudden joyous turn" of all of human existence, bringing the relevance of fairy-stories to bear on the entirety of human life.

When Tolkien introduces the Oxford dictionary's definition of fairy-stories, it's clearly foreshadowing for his revised definition, which he then fleshes out for many more pages following this initial, severely lacking definition.

"I have been hardly more than a wandering explorer (or trespasser) in the land, full of wonder but not of information." ("Introduction")

This literary essay is full of allusions to other literary works, both positive, negative, and neutral. References include those to Shakespeare, Drayton, Alice in Wonderland, Aesop's Fables, Peter Rabbit, H.G. Wells, Gulliver's Travels, entire bodies of ancient mythology, Beowulf, the legends of King Arthur, Chesterton, and various fairy-tale collections, among many others.

Much of Tolkien's argument in this essay revolves around Faërie, the mysterious land of the imagination where all true fairy-stories are set. It is impossible to directly describe this "perilous realm," but the indirect descriptions are beautiful and full of Faërie imagery. For example, Tolkien describes the land of fairy-stories as "wide and deep and high and filled with many things: all manner of beasts and birds are found there; shoreless seas and stars uncounted; beauty that is an enchantment, and an ever-present peril; both joy and sorrow as sharp as swords." Such fantastic imagery permeates the essay in an attempt to capture the spirit of Faërie without directly defining it.

Tolkien's aim in this essay is to describe the nature of fairy-tales, but he cannot accurately do this without describing the nature of Faërie, the land in which they are set, but description of Faërie is impossible, as it is by nature inexplicable. This creates a sort of logical paradox, which Tolkien attempts to circumvent by describing Faërie indirectly.

Tolkien's theory of the perfect fairy-story parallels his own (later) work, The Lord of the Rings, which he would qualify as a fairy-story despite the complete absence of fairies.

"And while he is there it is dangerous for him to ask too many questions, lest the gates should be shut and the keys be lost." ("Introduction")

"In that realm a man may, perhaps, count himself fortunate to have wandered, but its very richness and strangeness tie the tongue of a traveller who would report them." ("Introduction")