Tolkien and War

J.R.R. Tolkien, in a 1945 letter to his son about the bombing of Germany by Allied forces, wrote:


We were supposed to have reached a stage of civilization in which it might still be necessary to execute a criminal, but not to gloat, or to hang his wife and child by him while the orc-crowd hooted. The destruction of Germany, be it 100 times merited, is one of the most appalling world-catastrophes. Well, well, — you and I can do nothing about it. And that should be a measure of the amount of guilt that can justly be assumed to attach to any member of a country who is not a member of its actual Government. Well the first War of the Machines seems to be drawing to its final inconclusive chapter—leaving, alas, everyone the poorer, many bereaved or maimed and millions dead, and only one thing triumphant: the Machines.

Strawberries at the Truman Household

"How many strawberries are for me?"
"As many as you would like."
"I'm going to eat ALL the strawberries!"
"ALL the strawberries?"
"Yes!"

(time passes)

"Hm. I'm beginning to question the wisdom of my Past Self's decision to eat ALL the strawberries. Would you like some?"
"I never said you had to eat ALL the strawberries."
"Aha! My Future Self will come to my rescue by eating the rest of the strawberries! Problem solved!"
(puts strawberries in fridge)