Eucatastrophe

The term Eukatastrophe ( turn for the better ) was coined by JRR Tolkien. He used it in a letter to his son Christopher Tolkien. Dating from the Greek word καταστροφή - Disaster ( turn for the decline ) is ευ with the Greek prefix - "eu" ( well, good, right, light) connected the positive turn of an event. So Eukatastrophe means " good catastrophe " or " good turn ". In the literary sense, the Eukatastrophe is the opposite of tragedy and the tragic turn of events. It also means turning away from selfishness toward reconciliation.

Eukatastrophe versus conversion

Tolkien describes a natural necessity. The man will be converted in a manner by adjusting his action universal laws of nature. It was Tolkien nothing less than a matter of creating the world once again with its own creation myth, its own geography and imaginary, non-human populations, each speak their own language with its own vocabulary and its own grammatical logic. This effort was necessary to convince the modern world of something that it really could not give more. Possible victory over the evil power "

Detailed Tolkien has his opinion in the article " Beyond Wonderland " performed enriched the theory of Eukatastrophe, the surprising turn for the better, ... " And one of these miracles is the largest and most complete Eukatastrophe that you can think of. This story has gone down in history and in the primary world: desire and ambition of the second creation has been raised to the fulfillment of the work of creation. Birth of Christ is the Eukatastrophe of human history. " Tolkien also describes how an extremely complex dynamics can arise from a comparatively low initial chance.

" I coined the word ' eucatastrophe ': the sudden happy turn in a story Which pierces you with a joy brings tears did ( Which I argued it is the highest function of fairy - stories to produce ). And I was there led to the view it did Produces its peculiar effect Because it is a sudden glimpse of Truth, your whole nature chained in material cause and effect, the chain of death, feels a sudden relief as if a major limb out of joint Suddenly had snapped back. It perceives - if the story Has literary ' truth ' on the second plane (....) - that this is indeed how things really do work in the Great World For Which our nature is made ​​. And I Concluded by saying did the Resurrection what the greatest ' eucatastrophe ' possible in the greatest Fairy Story - and did Produces essential emotion: Christian joy Which Produces tears Because it is qualitatively so like sorrow, Because it comes from Those places where Joy and Sorrow are at one, reconciled, as selfishness and altruism are lost in Love. "

"I have used the term " Eukatastrophe "was coined to refer to an unexpectedly happy plot twist that stirs to joyful tears (which, as I have pointed out elsewhere, the ultimate goal has to be the effect of a fairy tale ). I spoke further of the opinion that their peculiar effect is due to a lightning-like insight of a higher truth, which gives the reader or listener in his whole nature, which is located in the chains of the real world of causality and death, a sudden feeling liberated relief as if an essential element that was out of joint, to einrenkte with a time again. It reflects the realization that - if the act literary "truth" of the second stage comprises (.... ) - this is actually the way how things are in the "big world ", for our being was created, occur in reality. And I concluded at that time with the remark that the resurrection is the greatest imaginable " Eukatastrophe " in the largest imaginable fairy tale plot, which is the most important emotion at all conditionally: the joy of the Christians, the reason to tears because it is so close to the funeral because it comes from those realms where joy and pain are one, reconciles, just as selfishness and selflessness disappear in love. "

Eukatastrophe vs. Creation

In contrast to the real world use " second -scooped " secondary worlds of Tolkien 's view standards. Is the story about a secondary world BAD, the unbelief will eventually rise again to return to the " primary world" ( catastrophe ) and the reader. However, if the story well and gives comfort and hope ( Eukatastrophe ), the rest is on the inlet end in the " secondary world". To draw, to create something that Tolkien believes is a deeply human characteristic and for a need that must be satisfied.