Samuel Swenson-Reinhold: Tolkein, Subcreators and Music

 This course has been largely focused on literary works and how the mythic is conveyed through stories like those of The Chronicles of Narnia or Till We Have Faces. Tolkien, in his essay "On Fairy-Stories", writes about how "Man becomes a sub-creator" (51). I totally agree with this idea, but I wonder how far we can get from literary portrayal/communication before the 'sub-creating' is no longer the same? Terrence Malick shows us that we can be sub-creators in film, no issue. We can create worlds in other contexts. But what about music? 

I'm sure that there are plenty of musicians out there who would argue that their artistic product is one that is creating a world in which the audience can participate. And to some degree, I think I agree with that. But words, with their symbols and associated meanings, provide a more concrete and consistent means by which one might be able to articulate a sub-world. Having thought about this throughout the class, I think my operating opinion is that Tolkien's words on sub-creators is relevant for the author, but the musician is simply a creator. 

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