5 Lessons from The Lord of the Rings for Children and Teenagers
Stimulating recreational reading from childhood will undoubtedly boost ingenuity, creativity and learning among children. One of the most recommended books is The Lord of the Rings.
The book has also been successfully taken to the big screen for little ones to enjoy. Get ready to know more about this wonderful tale and learn key lessons from The Lord of the Rings for children and teenagers below.
The Lord of the Rings: a book taken to the big screen
The British philologist and writer J.R.R. Tolken wrote the book in the middle of the last century. He wrote it with the aim of transmitting the teachings of Catholicism, the religion he professed, to his children.
However, when it was taken to the silver screen, the story was split into three volumes, due to its sheer length. It is a follow-up of The Hobbit, and tells the story of the adventures of the little hobbit Frodo Baggins.
Every one of those adventures is brought to life in order to get rid of a powerful magical ring and thus prevent it from reaching the hands of the enemy.
This epic novel is set in Middle-earth, a fictional place inhabited by hobbits, elves, dwarves and fantasy creatures. It is divided into three volumes:
- The Fellowship of the Ring: This volume tells the story of a hobbit commissioned by a council to guard a ring and begin a journey to destroy it. Frodo begins his journey with the help of the ring’s fellowship, who will guide him and accompany him on his journey.
- The Two Towers: The journey to reach Mordor, to destroy the ring, continues. In this part of the story, new characters and adventures appear, which contribute to the main character’s mission.
- The Return of the King: The journey to Mordor is about to come to an end and ensure the Ring’s destruction. Nonetheless, enemy forces are gaining ground on Middle-earth.
The book is undeniably a masterpiece that mixes new languages, values, magical creatures and landscapes typical of a fictitious world. The novel has had tremendous success, captivating a wide range of audiences.
5 wonderful lessons from The Lord of the Rings for children and teenagers
The novel’s unquestionable success lies in the integration of an ancient Greek-style story with magic. It is a struggle between good and evil that takes the viewer on an adventure full of heroism. The most important lessons can be summarized as follows:
Learning to withstand temptation
The book is clear about the tempting nature of the ring, which offers to give extraordinary powers to whoever wields it. Analyzing the ability to dismiss these desires provides a valuable life lesson, especially for teenagers.
Learning to say no to certain impulses stimulates personal growth and helps establish a balance between positive and negative trends.
Teamwork and the value of friendship
One of the lessons The Lord of the Rings has for children and teenagers is the attitude of its characters. It highlights friendship, fellowship, and team effort as keys to accomplishing goals. This lesson reinforces the fact that working together helps us overcome life’s obstacles and difficulties.
Facing your fears
Throughout the book and the film, the daunting challenges that the main characters go through become brazenly evident. Nevertheless, each one of them has to stand up to those challenges with bravery. The lesson for children and teenagers here is that fears will always be there and it is not wise to avoid them.
We can all be brave
Another great lesson The Lord of the Rings has for children and teenagers is how to be brave. This is evident in both hobbits Bilbo and Frodo who, though small, accomplish very great deeds.
Likewise, being small should not prevent you from advancing toward your goals. With the necessary confidence and the best help, you can achieve whatever you set your mind to.
True riches
True wealth and happiness come from the moments we share with friends and family.
In conclusion, the book teaches us that in life you will always encounter obstacles to overcome. The most important thing is always to trust yourself and know how to look for people who remain by our side.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Calles, J. (2005). La literatura infantil desarrolla la función imaginativa del lenguaje. Laurus, 11(20), 144-155.
- Garralón, A. (1990). Literatura con valores. Cuadernos de Literatura Infantil y Juvenil, (13).
- J.R.R. Tolkien. (ed. 2012). El señor de los anillos I: La comunidad del anillo. Booket.
- J.R.R. Tolkien. (ed. 2012). El señor de los anillos II: Las dos torres. Booket.
- J.R.R. Tolkien. (ed. 2012). El señor de los anillos III: El retorno del rey. Booket.
- J.R.R. Tolkien. (ed. 2012). El hobbit. Booket.
- Soler, C. D. D. (2021). Épica mesiánica en «El Señor de los anillos» y «Juego de tronos». Athenea Digital. Revista de pensamiento e investigación social, 21(3), e2975-e2975.
