Leaf by Niggle – Perspectives of Interpretation

Leaf by Niggle by J.R.R. Tolkien is a story of multiple layers. When we first read it, at the
beginning it may seem to be a story about a man, a painter, who is going to leave for a long journey,
but before doing it, he wants to finish his painting. However, after reading the whole text, the moral is
clearly visible. On the one level, the story may be interpreted like an extended religious parable. On
the other, it is an illustration of some aspects of Tolkien’s literary theory. Leaf by Niggle becomes an
allegory of life and death, purgatory and heaven, the creation and the sub-creation. It also shows a sad
reality of how common and ordinary people are treated after death, and what happens with their work.
The narrator of the story is omniscient, subjective and independent in his opinions and often
evaluates the characters and action: “I dare say it was not really a very good picture, though it may
have had some good passages. The Tree, at any rate was curious…”. The narrative is mostly in the
third person; however, as can be seen in the fragment quoted, there are moments, when the narrator
reveals himself as “I”- in the first person. Another narrator’s characteristic is having insight into
characters’ thoughts and feelings. However, the world is presented mainly from Niggle’s perspective
and point of view: “…he listened to what they said, but underneath he was thinking all the time about
his big canvass” or “what he would have liked at that moment would have been to see himself walk in,
and slap him on the back…”.
In Leaf by Niggle we may single out four parts according to the setting of action. The division
is superficial, as the author does not visibly distinguish between them.
In the first part we get to know about the characters, their occupation, life, needs. It is the
longest part as it introduces the plot and conflicts. We get acquainted with Niggle – the main
character. He is a painter, although “not a very successful one”. The perspective of a journey makes
him feel uneasy and nervous, especially when somebody asks him for help. His kind heart does not let
him refuse, even when the situation begins to be very irritating. Niggle is a simple man and its easy to
feel empathy with him owing to his traits and behaviour. The country where he lives is not given a
name, also there are no clues what year or period it may be, which creates the impression of
universality. All we know about the setting is that there are strict rules of neighbourly cooperation and
mutual help, which is supervised by the Inspector of Houses. Also Niggle is inspected, because he
failed to mend the roof in Parish’s house, even though he was not in the condition to do that. The
Inspector says that Niggle’s “art” is not important and it would be good material to utilize it for more
basic needs, like repairing the roof. This part is an allegory of Niggle’s earthly stay. Especially
significant here is the ending, when a tall, dressed in black Driver comes to take Niggle to the train
station, and send him in the journey. The Driver, or death, if we want to speak on an allegorical level,
does not give Niggle the time neither to finish his work, nor to pack his things. Just as in normal life
death comes unexpectedly.
Another part introduces a new place, a first station of Niggle’s journey. Immediately after
arrival, he is directed to the Workhouse, where he is made to work very hard and is not allowed to go
outside. It is hard to talk about the time passed there. The only information about it is that the stay
there seems very long, like a century. The part ends with two voices discussing Niggle’s life and
deciding on what to do with him. This stage, as we can guess, is purgatory. Hard work is to
compensate for the sins and neglecting the duties towards the neighbours during his life. The voices
try him for his life and decide that he can go to the higher level.
The next stage of Niggle’s journey is much more pleasant than the previous one. The station
has no name yet. There is a gate like to some kind of private possession, and Niggle follows there to
see, that the landscape and the whole surroundings are the same as he had imagined and tried to
portrait on his picture. The greatest amazement is for him the Tree, which he, so meticulously, tried to
paint but was not able to do it so precisely. The real effect is outstanding: “All the leaves he had ever
laboured at were there, as he had imagined them rather than as he had made them; and there were
others that had only budded in his mind, and many that might have budded, if only he had had time.
Nothing was written on them, they were just exquisite leaves, yet they were dated as clear as a
calendar”. This is also a place where he again meets Parish, and together they develop that world.
After some period comes the shepherd who is going to guide Niggle to the Mountains and high
pasturages – the next stage of the journey (not necessarily the last). Here appears a strictly Biblical
symbol of a shepherd which is almost always connected with Jesus Christ. The Mountains are beyond

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the range of view and “what they are really like, and what lies beyond them, only those can say who
have climbed them”, just as nobody can see heaven until they get there.
This part, along with the first, illustrates Tolkien’s idea of creation and sub-creation. The
meaning of this is that an artist, a human, cannot create anything so perfect which would be totally
real. Only God can create everything. An artist is only able to depict what he or she imagines. Sub-
creating is, in a way, making another world to which we may enter but only in our imagination. When
people looked at the Niggle’s picture, they saw only some patches of colours, but Niggle perceived it
as it is shown in this third part of the story. It is very well illustrated in this fragment:

"Don't you know?" said the man. "It is Niggle's Country. It is Niggle's Picture, or most of it:
a little of it is now Parish's Garden."
"Niggle's Picture!" said Parish in astonishment. "Did you think of all this, Niggle? I never
knew you were so clever. Why didn't you tell me?"
"He tried to tell you long ago," said the man; "but you would not look. He had only got
canvas and paint in those days, and you wanted to mend your roof with them. This is what you and
your wife used to call Niggle's Nonsense, or That Daubing."
"But it did not look like this then, not real," said Parish.
"No, it was only a glimpse then," said the man; "but you might have caught the glimpse, if
you had ever thought it worth while to try."

The last part is the shortest and takes us back to the country from the first part, where we are
again confronted with sad reality of how a man is evaluated on earth. The criterion to judge a person is
their usefulness, not thoughts and feelings. All that remains after Niggle is a corner of his painting
with one of the leaves presented. Unfortunately, it is later burned during a fire and a person such as
Niggle is entirely forgotten. But Niggle and Parish did not have to care for it any longer as they both
went to heaven, which is suggested in the last line: "They both laughed. Laughed—the Mountains rang
with it!", with the Mountains symbolising heaven.
The main character of the story has many humane traits. He is a common man, not tall, not
much talented, probably not an intellectual – he does not use any elaborated words, quite opposite, he
often swears to himself. He is lazy but meticulous, as his name suggests: Niggle – he worries too
much, is too occupied with details. As a character he is not much dynamic, he does not change. Before
the journey we see him as indecisive, shy, sometimes helpless, without his own opinion. After living
in the country which he created, he seems a bit more self-confident, but still unassuming. I think
Niggle is an endearing person with his kind heart and simplicity.
The style of the text resembles an extended parable. The language is simple, so that everybody
could understand it, sometimes almost poetic in descriptions. It is also informal, and has explanations,
the style of which is more characteristic of spoken stories, like: “You know the sort of kind heart: it
made him uncomfortable more often than it made him do anything”. The overall style feels lively as if
somebody wrote down what was once spoken, which makes the story easy to read. Most of the proper
names are meaningful and either point out some character traits, or functions. Like Niggle, the Driver,
the Porter, the shepherd etc.
The overtone of Leaf by Niggle is rather sad, due to the last part of the story. Just when the
reader may think that everything is going to end like in fairy tales – “…and they lived happily ever
after”, in this moment the reality is presented, and it is not so optimistic. The story is of much quality,
because it shows many different aspects, like evaluation of life by other people and by God after
death, the power of imagination, realities of life, the value of our work and the value of what we do for
other people, as well as serves for the illustration of some of Tolkien’s literary theories. One of the
advantages is language, characteristic of Tolkien, very picturesque, vivid in descriptions. The story is
very universal and actual nowadays, especially in times when art is so common, and some people see
it even in most mundane objects and everybody may test their artistic talent. As Tolkien shows, what
is important, is not always what is shown in the art, but what the artist sees with the eyes of
imagination.