“On Fairy Stories” by J. R. R. Tolkien: Summary and Critique

Introduction: “On Fairy Stories” by J. R. R. Tolkien

“On Fairy Stories” by J.R.R. Tolkien first appeared in 1947 as part of a collection titled Essays Presented to Charles Williams. Originally, this essay was intended for the Andrew Lang Lecture at the University of St. Andrews, which Tolkien delivered in 1939. In this essay, Tolkien explores the nature, origins, and importance of fairy stories, arguing for their role in expressing fundamental truths about the human condition. He highlights the imaginative power of these tales, not merely as escapism, but as a reflection of deep moral and spiritual concerns. Tolkien delves into how fairy tales transcend simple children’s stories, offering insights into the human psyche and enriching the reader’s understanding of reality. He also touches upon the concept of “sub-creation,” where the storyteller becomes a creator of secondary worlds, imbuing them with internal logic and wonder. Tolkien’s essay remains highly influential in literary theory, particularly in discussions surrounding fantasy literature, the role of myth, and the imaginative capacity of storytelling in capturing profound truths.

Summary of “On Fairy Stories” by J. R. R. Tolkien

1. The Origins of the Lecture and Its Context The essay originated from a lecture delivered as part of the Andrew Lang lectures at St. Andrews in 1938. Tolkien considered the opportunity “a perilous honor” given the scholarly legacy of Andrew Lang and the nature of the topic of fairy-stories​.
2. Defining Fairy Stories Tolkien begins by challenging dictionary definitions of fairy stories as tales about “supernatural beings” of diminutive size, arguing that such definitions are both too narrow and too broad​. He expands the scope of fairy-stories to encompass narratives set in the “realm of Faërie,” which is not limited to tales of fairies or elves but includes a broader magical world​.
3. The Importance of Faërie Tolkien emphasizes the nature of Faërie, the Perilous Realm, as the key element in fairy stories. He explains that fairy stories are not merely about fantastical creatures but touch on deeper human emotions, desires, and experiences​. Faërie cannot be fully defined or captured, but it evokes enchantment, peril, sorrow, and joy in equal measure​.
4. The Origins of Fairy Stories Tolkien briefly addresses the origins of fairy stories, noting that they are ancient and universal. He highlights the role of invention and independent creation, stressing that attempts to trace their origin must recognize that fairy tales often evolve from a complex mix of folklore, myth, and cultural inheritance​.
5. Fantasy as Sub-Creation Tolkien introduces the concept of “sub-creation,” where the storyteller acts as a sub-creator, crafting secondary worlds that evoke a sense of wonder and are internally consistent​. He asserts that this imaginative creation is a higher form of art and essential to the power of fairy stories​.
6. Functions of Fairy-Stories: Fantasy, Recovery, Escape, and Consolation Tolkien identifies four main functions of fairy-stories: Fantasy, which allows the creation of new worlds; Recovery, which offers a renewed perspective on reality; Escape, a legitimate retreat from the constraints of everyday life; and Consolation, which provides a sense of hope and happy endings, termed “eucatastrophe”​.

Literary Terms/Concepts in “On Fairy Stories” by J. R. R. Tolkien

Literary Term/Concept	Definition
Faërie	A magical realm of enchantment, peril, and wonder, encompassing all elements of fairy stories, not limited to fairies.
Sub-creation	The act of creating a secondary world by an author or storyteller, allowing the reader to experience a world that is internally consistent and believable.
Eucatastrophe	A sudden and favorable resolution of events in a story, providing a joyous happy ending, often connected to grace or redemption.
Fantasy	A literary form that allows the creation of imaginative and otherworldly settings, free from the constraints of the real world.
Recovery	A shift in perception that helps readers regain a fresh view of their own world through the lens of fantasy.
Escape	The legitimate desire to escape the limitations of everyday life through literature, offering temporary relief from reality.
Secondary World	A fictional world created by an author that operates under its own rules, distinct from the real world, but believable within its context.
Mythopoeia	The making or shaping of myths within literature, often associated with creating new legends and mythological worlds.
Primary World	The real world as we experience it, often contrasted with the secondary world in fairy stories.

Contribution of “On Fairy Stories” by J. R. R. Tolkien to Literary Theory/Theories

1. Sub-Creation and Secondary Worlds (Fantasy Theory): Tolkien introduced the concept of sub-creation, where authors create “Secondary Worlds” that have their own internal logic and consistency. This aligns with fantasy theory, highlighting the importance of creating believable worlds that inspire “Secondary Belief” in readers. He writes that fairy-stories require “the inner consistency of reality” within the created world​.
2. Eucatastrophe and Literary Catharsis (Narrative Theory): Tolkien introduced eucatastrophe, a sudden and joyous turn in a story leading to a happy ending, which differs from the Aristotelian concept of catharsis. This provides readers with hope and joy rather than emotional purging, positioning fairy stories as a distinct form of narrative that offers consolation​.
3. Recovery, Escape, and Consolation (Psychological and Social Criticism): In response to modern critiques of escapism in literature, Tolkien defends the role of escape in fairy-stories as a necessary reprieve from the harshness of reality, distinguishing it from desertion. He argues that fairy-stories help readers recover their sense of wonder and see the world with fresh eyes, challenging social and psychological critiques of escapism​​.

Examples of Critiques Through “On Fairy Stories” by J. R. R. Tolkien

Literary Work	Tolkien’s Critique
Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift	Tolkien argues that Gulliver’s Travels belongs to the category of “travellers’ tales” and not a true fairy-story, as it deals with marvels of the mortal world rather than engaging with the essence of Faërie.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll	Tolkien views Alice as a dream-story rather than a fairy-story because it uses the machinery of dreams to explain its marvels, which he considers to be a disqualifying element for a true fairy-story.
Nymphidia by Michael Drayton	Tolkien criticizes Nymphidia for reducing the magic of Faërie to triviality, with diminutive fairies and superficial adventures, considering it one of the worst fairy-stories ever written.
Grimm’s Fairy Tales	While Tolkien acknowledges the merit of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, he suggests that many stories in collections like this don’t truly engage with Faërie but are instead focused on other fantastical elements.

Criticism Against “On Fairy Stories” by J. R. R. Tolkien

1. Fairy Stories as Juvenile Literature: Critics argue that Tolkien overemphasizes the connection between fairy-stories and children, noting that his insistence on their value for all ages conflicts with the common classification of fairy-stories as juvenile literature .
2. Romanticized View of Escape: Some critics argue that Tolkien’s defense of “escape” in literature romanticizes the concept without fully addressing the potential downsides of avoiding real-world issues through fiction .
3. Narrow Definition of Fairy Stories: Tolkien’s strict definition of fairy-stories, focusing on Faërie and magical elements, has been seen as excluding many traditional stories that deal with the supernatural or the fantastical but do not align with his specific criteria .
4. Elitism in Sub-Creation: Tolkien’s idea of “sub-creation” has been criticized for implying that only certain literary works that create internally consistent worlds are valuable, potentially marginalizing other forms of imaginative literature that do not fit this mold .

Representative Quotations from “On Fairy Stories” by J. R. R. Tolkien with Explanation

Quotation	Explanation
“Fairy-stories are not primarily concerned with possibility, but with desirability.”	Tolkien highlights that fairy stories deal with what we desire, rather than what is possible in the real world. This underscores the imaginative freedom in such tales.
“The realm of Faërie is wide and deep and high and filled with many things.”	Tolkien describes Faërie as an expansive and multifaceted world that encompasses beauty, peril, joy, and sorrow, transcending ordinary reality.
“Sub-creation is the art of crafting Secondary Worlds.”	He introduces the concept of sub-creation, where the storyteller creates a consistent, believable world distinct from reality, vital for fantasy literature.
“The eucatastrophic tale is the true form of fairy-tale, and its highest function.”	Tolkien defines eucatastrophe as the sudden, joyful resolution in fairy tales, offering consolation and hope, which he sees as essential to the genre.
“Fantasy remains a human right: we make still by the law in which we’re made.”	Tolkien defends fantasy as a fundamental part of human creativity, necessary for expressing deeper truths about life and the human condition.
“Fairy-stories are made by men, not by fairies.”	He asserts that fairy tales are a product of human imagination, emphasizing the role of the storyteller in creating these magical worlds.
“Escape is one of the main functions of fairy-stories, and since we are prisoners, it is a necessary function.”	Tolkien justifies the escapist nature of fairy tales, arguing that escaping the limitations of reality is a legitimate and necessary function of literature.
“The consolation of fairy-stories, the joy of the happy ending…is not essentially escapist, nor fugitive.”	He insists that the happy ending, or eucatastrophe, is a profound element of fairy stories that provides hope rather than mere escape from reality.
“Faërie itself may perhaps most nearly be translated by Magic—but it is magic of a peculiar mood and power.”	Tolkien describes Faërie as a realm of magic, but emphasizes that this magic is not the mechanical or formulaic kind seen in other forms of literature.
“Children are meant to grow up, and not to become Peter Pans.”	He argues that while children may enjoy fairy stories, adults are also capable of appreciating them, and fairy stories should not be restricted to juvenile literature.

Suggested Readings: “On Fairy Stories” by J. R. R. Tolkien

1. Prothero, James. “Fantasy, Science Fiction, and the Teaching of Values.” The English Journal, vol. 79, no. 3, 1990, pp. 32–34. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/819231. Accessed 16 Oct. 2024.
2. Burns, Marjorie. “J. R. R. Tolkien: The British and the Norse in Tension.” Pacific Coast Philology, vol. 25, no. 1/2, 1990, pp. 49–59. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/1316804. Accessed 16 Oct. 2024.
3. Bardowell, Matthew R. “J. R. R. Tolkien’s Creative Ethic and Its Finnish Analogues.” Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts, vol. 20, no. 1 (75), 2009, pp. 91–108. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/24352316. Accessed 16 Oct. 2024.
4. Croft, Janet Brennan. “Beyond the Hobbit: J. R. R. Tolkien’s Other Works for Children.” World Literature Today, vol. 78, no. 1, 2004, pp. 67–70. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/40158367. Accessed 16 Oct. 2024.
5. Rohy, Valerie. “ON FAIRY STORIES.” Modern Fiction Studies, vol. 50, no. 4, 2004, pp. 927–48. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/26286385. Accessed 16 Oct. 2024.