TCG Letter #167 / Carpenter Letter #78

Tolkien responds to Christopher's letters, encouraging openness about details of his life. He offers support for navigating challenges and express the need for resilience in a tough world. The discussion touches on the realization of values beneath appearances, the absence of genuine Uruks (those made irredeemably bad), and the unique qualities of the landscape. Tolkien reflects on his mother's dislike of the land and shares a personal affinity for barrenness, expressing a longing to see it again.