It's hard not to miss the Christian message in this short story by J.R.R. Tolkien of preparing yourself for the day where you'll have to stand before God and give an account of your life before entering into Heaven. Niggle is an artist who is so caught up with his pet project, creating a massive mural of a tree, while dealing with having to live with other people in his community, that he neglects and tries to put off the day when he must "go on a journey". But alas, the day happens, and Niggle finds himself going through a metaphorical purgatory before he is allowed to proceed any further, where he ends up seeing his project, The Tree, become more than just a painting, it became a living entity in of itself. It's the only non-fantasy piece of literature from the legendary writer that I really liked reading so far.
Literature Prepare yourself for the day!
It's hard not to miss the Christian message in this short story by J.R.R. Tolkien of preparing yourself for the day where you'll have to stand before God and give an account of your life before entering into Heaven. Niggle is an artist who is so caught up with his pet project, creating a massive mural of a tree, while dealing with having to live with other people in his community, that he neglects and tries to put off the day when he must "go on a journey". But alas, the day happens, and Niggle finds himself going through a metaphorical purgatory before he is allowed to proceed any further, where he ends up seeing his project, The Tree, become more than just a painting, it became a living entity in of itself. It's the only non-fantasy piece of literature from the legendary writer that I really liked reading so far.