![]() ![]() ![]() It is no wonder that Tolkien is synonymous with world-building. For example, Father Christmas and Karhu’s rapport is similar to that of a parent and child – the bear may annoy Father Christmas to bits, but he still considers Karhu to be a child and even trusts him enough to complete and add to his letters to Tolkien’s children. He beautifully etched out the relationships each character shared with one another and Father Christmas, and these relationships reflect those in the real world. He made Father Christmas’ Cliff House seem like a real house full of people, Christmas-related activity and excitement. He introduced a multitude of characters in this ‘Santaverse’ (as I like to call it), each one with their own personality- a troublesome bear named Karhu, an efficient secretary named Ilbereth, etc. Rather, he developed Father Christmas’ character further with each letter. ![]() It wasn’t enough for him to just write the letters. It must have taken a tremendous amount of effort to go to such lengths to ensure that his children genuinely believed these letters were from Father Christmas.īut, if you think about it, this ties in perfectly with Tolkien’s skill of and obsession with world-building. All these letters were actually ‘delivered’ (read as found by his children in their house), and he made sure that they were often dusted with snow and/or had North Pole stamps on them. Before we get into the nitty-gritties of the book, let me just say, I am in awe of Tolkien the father. ![]()
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