J.R.R. TOLKIEN

J.R.R. Tolkien was born in 1892, Bloomfontein, South Africa. After three years in South Africa, he returned to England with his Mother Mabel, unfortunately his father died 1 year later, leaving him with little memory of his father. His early childhood was, by all accounts, a happy one, he was brought up in the Warwickshire countryside. Many regard this idealised upbringing as the basis for the Shire in Lord of the Rings. In 1904, when John was just 12, his mother Mabdl died from diabetes leaving a profound mark on him and his brother. After his mother’s passing, he was brought up by the family’s Catholic priest, Father Francis Morgen. From an early age, J.R.R. Tolkien was an excellent scholar, with an unusually specialised interest in languages. He enjoyed studying languages especially Greek, Anglo Saxon, and later at Oxford, Finnish. Although a scholar at King Edward VI school, he failed to win a scholarship to Oxford. His guardian, put this down to his burgeoning romance with his childhood sweetheart, Edith. Father Morgen, thus, made John promise not to see Edith until he was 21. John agreed to his request, and faithfully waited until his 21st birthday. On this date he renewed his contact with Edith, and successfully persuaded her to marry him. It is a testament to his belief in faithfulness and honesty, that he was willing to wait several years to meet his wife, such sentiments of nobility appear frequently in his writings; for example, the magnificent love story of Beren and Luthien. From an academic point of view, his separation from Edith seemed to do the trick, and a year later he won an exhibition to Exeter College, Oxford where he would study classics. John did not particularly shine in this subject, and decided to switch to English literature. He was a competent scholar, but a lot of his time was spent researching other languages in the Bodleian library. It was here in Oxford that he became fascinated with Finnish, a language which would form the basis for Quenya; a language he would later give to his Elves. His love of languages remained with Tolkien throughout his life; in particular, he began developing his own languages, a remarkable undertaking. In fact, in later commented that languages lied at the heart of his writings; the Silmarillion and Lord of the Rings. He actually said, the stories existed to provide an opportunity to use the languages. Devotees of the book may not agree, but it does illustrate the profound importance he attached to the use of languages. At the outbreak of the First World War, J.R.R. Tolkien decided to finish off his degree before enlisting in 1916. Joining the Lancashire fusiliers, he made it to the Western Front just before the great Somme offensive. At first hand, J.R.R. Tolkien witnessed the horrors and carnage of the “Great War”; he lost many close friends, tellingly he remarked “By 1918 all but one of my close friends were dead”. J.R.R. Tolkien survived, mainly due to the persistent reoccurrence of trench fever, which saw him invalided back to England.  He rarely talked about his experiences directly, but the large-scale horrors of war, will undoubtedly have influenced his writings in some way. Perhaps the imagery for the wastelands of Mordor may have had birth in the muddy horrors of the Western Front. It was back in England, in 1917, that J.R.R Tolkien began working on his epic - "The Silmarillion". The Silmarillion, lies at the heart of all Tolkien’s mythology, it is a work he continually revised, until his death in 1973. The Silmarillion makes hard reading, in that, it is not plot driven but depicts the history of a universe, through an almost biblical overview. It moves from the Creation of the Universe, to the introduction of evil and the rebellion of the Noldor. It is in the Silmarillion that many roots from the Lord of the Rings stem. It gives the Lord of the Rings the impression of a real epic. It becomes not just a story, but also the history of an entire world and peoples. Initially J.R.R Tolkien’s writings on the Silmarillion were known by very few. He found his time absorbed in teaching and other duties of being a professor. He also found time to write important papers on medieval literature. These included seminal works on, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and Beowulf. In 1945, he was given the Merton professorship, and gained additional duties of teaching and lecturing. It was sometime after 1930 that Tolkien gained an unexpected inspiration to start writing the Hobbit. It was whilst marking an examination paper, that he jotted in the margins of a paper the immortal words “In a hole in the ground lived a hobbit.” Unlike the Silmarillion, the Hobbit was a simple fairy tale and adventure for children. Hinting at evil things, it still ends in a happy ending for all and is primarily concerned with a triumph of good over evil. In the course of the next few years, friends including C.S. Lewis, read his manuscript and gave good reviews.. In the course of time the publisher, Allen and Unwin, got to read it; with a glowing reference from, Rayner Unwin, the 10 year old son of Mr Unwin; the book was published to commercial success. Due to the success of the hobbit, Allen and Tnwin, encouraged J.R.R. Tolkien to write a sequel. Thus over a period of many years, J.R.R. Tolkien began writing the Lord of the Rings. This soon became quite different to the hobbit, both in scope and dimension. Putting its roots into the Silmarillion, it became an epic of unprecedented depth. No longer was Tolkien writing a simplistic adventure story; the triumph of good over evil is no longer so complete. Even in the mission’s success there is no obvious happy ending. There is a feeling of permanent change; nothing can remain as it is. As well as being a fascinating story line, the book deals with many issues of how people respond to certain choices and the influence of power and ego. It can be read in many ways, but it does offer an underlying moral and spiritual dimension, which is inherent in the development of the story. Due to the sheer scope and length of the book, the publishers Allen and Unwin, were wary of publication. They worried about whether it would be a commercial success. Eventually they decided to publish the book, but split it up into 6 sections; they also offered no payment to J.R.R Tolkien, until the book moved into profit. The first edition was published in 1954, and soon became a good seller. However, it was in 1965 when the book was published in America, that it really took off becoming an international bestseller. Somehow the book managed to capture the mood of the 60s counter culture, and it became immensely popular on American campuses. Tolkien, became a household name, and Lord of the Rings would soon become renowned as the most popular book of all time.

Source: Biographyonline.net*)

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HELEN KELLER THE BLIND WHO REFUSE SURRENDER

If many people say that the seven wonders of the world really deserve to be wonders of the world, but for the author of Helen Keller more worthy of being the wonders of the world. Helen is like a symbol of the greatness of God's creation in terms of mental, power of dreams, and optimal brain. What Helen do? Blind and deaf not prevent her become a useful man to the world. Despite its status as a nobleman's daughter and the handicap to make the world understand if her just remain silent. However, Helen refused to be a burden to others, even Helen wanted to be a man of value. Helen was born June 27, 1880. Helen regarded as a figure who has opened the world to respect and appreciate people who are blind and deaf. Helen was born normal, but at the age of one and a half years, she stricken with serious illness resulting in loss of eyesight and hearing. At the age of 7 years, Helen was educated by a tutor named Anne Sullivan to beromunikasi with sign language. How did Helen study? Anne holds the hand of Helen, and then spell the letter in her hand. While Helen holds the land, Anne spell out to "LAND" in sign language on the other hand. This is done as many as 30 words a day. Helen also taught to read by braille up to get the point. Helen hungry for mental stimulation. Within 3 weeks, Helen had mastered 300 words. Helen quickly learned what that her consider to be the game and given the combination of letters. But Helan apparently did not understand if this combination creates words, and words that have meanings associated with objects and ideas. Anne was a teacher was not arbitrary. In Helen, Anne see what is not visible to others. Although she is still a little girl just like any other child, but she refused to indulge or tolerate bad attitude Helen. Anne remained disciplined severely, though initially opposed. When Anne was aware that Helen need more education, they decided to send Helen to Perkins School For The Blind in Boston. Helen often spend the winter with still studying there. Includes learning French. Amazingly, she managed to mastering the language within 3 months, whereas an American child with a full sense can not be mastered within a year. In addition to English and French, Helen brilliantly mastered German, Greek, and Latin. Helen continued high school in Cambridge for her to go to school in Radcliffe's dream school. At school Helen drowning in a lesson with the same enthusiasm, even harder than other students. This school does not have special facilities for the blind and deaf, but with Anne as well as Helen. Helen worked hard preparing for university entrance tests. However, when the announcement of entrance test, Helen was disappointed with the treatment he received from Radcliffe. Although her passed the entrance test and got high marks, especially on the Latin test they still refused to Helen. Head of new admissions to see her personally. Schools worried if the curriculum would be too difficult for blind and deaf students. They do not like to see Helen work too hard the other students just to fail. Helen was devastated but he remains determined to big. Even at Cornell University and The University of Chicago to receive and give scholarships, Helen refused and instead prepare for next  Radcliffe faces test. At the age of 20 years, Helen finally got accepted at Radcliffe College, Harvard University branch. She was not just trying to have never missed a class and pass, but also wrote her experiences in the book The Story Of My Life. The book won praise from critics and became one of the world's bestseller. Only four years Helen graduated magna cum laude, in scholarship perfect level. She became blind and deaf man who earned her first degree. Helen is not looking for work, but he recruited his alma mater to lecture. Helen was also active in writing books. How in the middle of blindness he wrote? Her brain is still working fine fatherly produce articles and books famous. These books not only become a classic in American literature, but also translated into 50 languages of the world. In the midst of imperfect Helen also has a social soul fire. She founded two famous foundations: American Foundation For The Blind and The American Overseas For The Blind. Helen tour to 39 countries to speak with world leaders and raise money for others with disabilities. Majesty, sincerity, and dedicated her life to make Helen received such prestigious awards: Honory Degress Women's University, Hall Of Fame, and The Presidential Meadal Of Freedom. Good Housekeeping Magazine also chose Helen and Annie as one of 12 powerful women in America. Even Helen's life story has been filmed and won two Oscar awards, the award given under on the best movie in America. So, why we created this perfect God can not do better than to Helen Keller?

Source: Keajaiban Belajar*)

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OPRAH WINFREY

When Oprah Winfrey young film critic Roger Ebert, persuaded him to take her successful show Talk Show in Chicago. In 1986, The Oprah Winfrey Show became the highest rated talk show in television history. Now earn more than one billion dollars, Winfrey has succeeded in various fields such, as an actress in the Oscar nominations, activist, magazine editors, producers, sponsors a book club and radio broadcaster. He has donated millions of dollars to victims of poverty and disease. But, according to Winfrey, none of his achievements make him more proud than she opened her second school for girls in South Africa's most needy. Leaving her grandmother's house in Mississippi, Winfrey divides her time between her mother, Vernita, in Milwaukee, and his father, Vernon, in Nashville, he raped and tortured by family friends in Milwaukee. Winfrey moved to Nashville permanently in 1968, had secretly been pregnant two weeks. His father, a strict discipline, he's rebuilding his life when a week-old baby die.Di Winfrey wins Nashville's Miss Fire Prevention contest. Sponsor contests, a radio station, offering job Winfrey read the headline in the afternoon. Once crowned Miss Black Tennessee in 1972, he competed in the Miss Black America competition, but the final day of the contest was developing her career. At age 19, he became the anchor of WTVF-TV station and leaves Nashville Tennessee State University became the first African-American news anchor woman in Nashville. After the 8 th to cohosting local events morning in Baltimore, a 29 th Winfrey once cohosts on AM talk show in Chicago, he finally took over the host. Within a month he defeated the top ranked Phil Donahue Show, and AM Chicago was renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show. Winfrey played by Quincy Jones in The Color Purple after seeing his TV show. Currently in a business trip to Chicago, he had just heard that he received an Oscar nomination. One month after Winfrey opened his own studio, Harpo Productions, The Oprah Winfrey Show into national syndication and is quickly becoming the highest rated talk show in television history. And attract 49 million viewers each week in the United States alone and distributed to 122 other countries. In 2000, after winning more than 40 Emmys, Winfrey decided to get out of Emmy consideration. Winfrey gave testimony to the Senate who support the Act of the National Child Protection, which aims to create a national database of convicted child abusers. Two years later President Bill Clinton signed the "Oprah Bill." Winfrey launched O, the Oprah Magazine. After a dispute arose between the editing staff, Winfrey moved them all to his home in Miami. Six years later the magazine hits the circulation of 2.6 million. Winfrey, who herself merupakn victims of sexual abuse, launched the "Oprah's Child Predator Watch List," featuring photographs of a child predator fugitives and offered a reward of $ 100,000 for their capture. Winfrey opened the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. He chose the 152 South African girls to attend the event. "This is the proudest, greatest day of my life," Winfrey said. In March, he opened a second school, while making the Best People and also a list of Most Influential People Time magazine version. But, in October, hit by charges of abuse of academies. Public Winfrey apologized to the family and the widow of former school was arrested on charges of physical and sexual violence. Finally, an unexpected Winfrey announced plans to end a talk show that very high ratenya in 2011 after 25 years. "I love this show," he said. "This event has become my life and I liked it enough to know when it's time to say goodbye." The media mogul is also preparing to launch his own cable channel, OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, a joint venture with Discovery.

Name: Oprah Winfrey

Date of Birth: January, 29 births in 1954

Place of Birth: Kosciusko, Mississippi

Source: People.com*)

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