Figurative Language In Tolkien's The Two Towers

The Black and White World of The Two Towers Tolkien’s The Two Towers is a continuation of his book The Fellowship of The Ring. The company is now facing new enemies and making new friends. Within The Two Towers Tolkien is straightforward with good and bad people. It is as if it’s in black and white. Tolkien has it where there is no evil without good. That for the bad to happen there has to be events or “falls” to happen. (Mathison) He shows his strong contrast of good and bad between Gandalf and Saruman. He also shows the gruesome setting of Mordor compared to the shimmering place of Rohan. With all of this he adds more detail with figurative language. He bolden’s the contrast of good and bad by using imagery, similes, and metaphors. Gandalf

It is filled to the brim with figurative language. This is what helps make it so easy to tell good from bad. Tolkien uses this to straightforwardly show the book as if it was in black and white. He even uses it to show how strong and weak the characters of good and bad are. “You thought I remained in Meduseld bent like an old tree under the winter snow” (527.) This is where king Theoden reveals how strong he is. That he isn’t just some old man that is hunched over, but that he is a great and powerful King. He merely appeared as a hunched over old man because he was just under the influence of Wormtongue and his nasty lies. This shows where evil doesn’t just happen. It was the influence that diverted Theoden’s path. Gandalf describes Saruman countless times with having a claw like hand. He also compares Saruman’s heart to a creature called a Huorn. These are dark trees that stand in the deepest of forests. They are deadly and merciless. “His heart is as rotten as a black Huron's” (586.) Tolkien already shows that Saruman is a great deal of evil, but he doesn’t just say how he has done bad things he says how he is basically heartless just like a black Huron. That there is also no changing for him. While there is a lot of figurative language showing the terrible parts of those who are evil there is many parts highlighting the brightness of those who are good. With Gandalf for the company he is shown brightly as the good force. His laugh was like sunshine too them. “He laughed, but the sound now seemed warm and kindly as a gleam of sunshine”