We never know why Smith's grandfather doesn't come back, or where he goes on
his final journey. But note that Tolkien thought highly of his own
maternal grandfather John Suffield, on whom he probably modeled both Bilbo's
maternal grandfather the Old Took and Smith's maternal grandfather Rider.
The Suffields claimed to be descendants of the Anglo-Saxon settlers of
Middle-England, and that heritage may well be one reason Tolkien pursued
Anglo-Saxon studies. In Letter 44 Tolkien tells his son Michael that
"Though a Tolkien by name, I am a Suffield by tastes, talents, and upbringing."
Clearly Alf has restored dignity to the Parish Hall and the office of Master
Cook. Here again is the letter of Tolkien's that Carpenter quotes in his
biography:
"There is *no* allegory in the Fairy, which is conceived as having a real
extramental existence. There is some trace of allegory in the Human part,
which seems to me obvious though no reader or critic has yet adverted to
it. As usual there is no 'religion' in the story; but plainly enough the
Master Cook and the Great Hall, etc. are a (somewhat satirical) allegory of the
village church, and village parson: its functions steadily decaying and and
losing all touch with the 'arts', into mere eating and drinking -- the last
trace or anything 'other' being left in the children."
Alf restores the Parish Hall -- i.e. the village church -- and the office of
Master Cook -- i.e. the office of village parson -- to its former dignity, even
though most of the adults in the village do not understand what he has
done. Smith, though, understands, and the restored hall, the pungent
spices in the polished box, and the evening star shining near the moon all give
him a sense of wonder. His travels in Fairy have restored his child-like
sense of wonder. In "On Fairy-stories" Tolkien calls this Recovery, and
considers it one of the four primary qualities of a fairy-story, along with
Fantasy, Escape, and Consolation.
Why is Smith blinded by tears? Perhaps because he can no longer escape to
Fairy. In "On Fairy-stories" Tolkien compares the real world to a prison,
and considers Escape the only responsible alternative. Smith is now once
again trapped in this vale of tears we call life. But the evening star in
the sky, and the knowledge that the Fairy Star will go to his nephew, offers
hope.
By the way, just as the Old Took and Rider may be based on Tolkien's maternal
grandfather Suffield, so I wonder whether Nokes and the Sackville-Bagginses are
not both based on the Tolkien side of the family. Note that Smith's
nephew Tim is by surname Nokes' grandson, but takes after his mother's side of
the family, just as Smith and Bilbo and Tolkien took after their mothers'
side.
“I dislike Allegory - the conscious and intentional allegory - yet any attempt to explain the purport of myth or fairytale must use allegorical language. (And, of course, the more 'life' a story has the more readily will it be susceptible of allegorical interpretations: while the better a deliberate allegory is made the more nearly will it be acceptable just as a story.)” (From Tolkien Letter # 131.)
Tips for posting in the Reading Room.
