Sauron's The One Ring In 'The Lord Of The Rings' Is Not What You Think

There are few better examples of post-Ground Zero clutural illiteracy than popular commentators’ and literary critics’ hamfisted interpretations of the One Ring.

Let’s get the basics out of the way first: The One Ring is not a metaphor. It is neither a stand-in for atomic weapons nor political power, nor is it a commentary on World War II. It is not an a…