From: mjkugel@iastate.edu (Michael J Kugel)
Subject: Re: Tolkien a racist?
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames, IA
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 02:22:20 GMT

In article <1992Dec15.205334.19776@leland.Stanford.EDU> jchokey@leland.Stanford.EDU (James Alexander Chokey) writes:
>In article <1992Dec15.135547.14456@lgc.com> mbs@zycor.lgc.com (Matt Shostak) writes:
>
>>I'm not saying any of that.  What I'm saying is that to try to impose 
>>current PC dogma on a work done 50 years ago is nonsense, especially since
>>it's a fantasy, for cryin' out loud.  It's not meant to make a political
>>statement.
>
>	But it _does_ make a political statement--  in fact, it makes many! .
>Just because a work falls in into the category of "fantasy" doesn't mean that 
>it has no ideological underpinnings.  In the case of LOTR, I think these 
>underpinnings embed themselves quite deeply and noticeably into the narrative.
>LotR, like all great works of literature, is a marvelous story--  but I don't
>see how we could somehow pretend that, unlike other works of literature, the
>story is not, at least in part, shaped by and imbued with political concerns.
>I'm not saying that LOTR is all politics and ideology or that that's the only
>level on which the work operates--  but it certainly seems to be an interesting
>one to think about, judging from the traffic that this thread has generated.
>
>	BTW, I haven't seen anybody on this newsgroup trying to "impose PC 
>dogma" on LOTR or on Tolkien's other works.  This thread has consisted, almost
>solely of discussion of the way races are represented in LOTR and some 
>speculation on the reasons for that system of racial representations--  I've
>seen no condemnations of Tolkien or his works, no demands that we bring up
>our children on works that are more "ideologically pure, no insistences that 
>we focus only on questions of race, gender, class, etc., when talking about 
>Tolkien. The fact of the matter is that issues of race _are_ an integral part
>of LOTR, and that makes them worth discussing.  Just because people are 
>talking about race doesn't mean they are trying to impose a PC dogma on the 
>world.  Don't be so quick to grind that axe.
>

But the general drift of this thread has alot of similarities with the
arguments of PoliCor-types---namely an obsession with race that comes
at the exclusion of everything else (with the possible exception of
gender and sexual orientation---hey, there's a thought. Anyone wish to
start 'Was Tolkien a homophobe' or 'Was Tolkien a speciesist' or 'Did
JRRT practice lookism' threads?).  

Typically, at least at universities, the following progression of events
seem to take place:

1. Someone will accuse the author (must be a white european male,
preferably dead) of being a racist.

2. Regardless how dubious the evidence is, the author will be judged
guilty. 

3. His works will be regarded as crypto-racist propaganda, and will be
scorned, dismissed, and if appropriate, removed from the curriculum.

A few years ago, we, at Iowa State, had a real good look at this process
in action.  Certain groups made charges that a video game in the
student union was racist.  Apparently, the hero was blond and the
villains were of all colors (though mostly green).  The game was
removed.

What bothers me, and apparently a few other people as well, is how this
thread seems to be paralleling the typical PC debate.  The two bits of
evidence that people seem to be putting forward are 1). the races of
middle earth seem to occupy a hierarchy and that this, consciously or
unconsciously is symbolic of Tolkien's own view of race, and 2). the
darker complexion of the men who served under Sauron (wasn't the mouth
of Sauron very pale?).

I think it's obvious the JRRT's use of the word 'race' corresponds more
with our use of 'species' then our own use of the word 'race'.  Any
relationship between these races, I believe, has no connection with our
own pigmentation-related concerns.  I, therefore, deny the whole premise
of this first argument, but let's play devil's advocate.  Is there a
racial hierarchy?  I think Tolkien goes out of his way to indicate that
each 'race' has is own strengths and weaknesses.  When bigotry is
presented, as it is on occasion between man and elf and dwarf and elf
(and even the hobbits of the shire and the hobbits of bree), it is shown
in an unfavorable light.  Certainly the elves have the most advanced
culture but this would primarily be due to their immortality, the fact
that they awoke first, and that some of their members lived with the
valar.

The interbreeding of men and orcs presented as a black evil must be
viewed in this light(oops, call the PC police).  I've read that some
people believe that it might be possible to interbreed a human being and
an ape.  I would regard such an act as a black evil, a great evil, and
just plain evil.  Am I a racist?  Granted men and elves do interbreed,
but remember that they, along with the dwarves are children of Illuvatar
(though it must be admitted that dwarves are only 'adopted').

In regards to the swarthy southerners: 
Speaking as someone who might be described as swarthy, I see no
connection between the way Tolkien presents these people and racism.  At
no point are they considered inferior or *inherently* evil.  They were
corrupted by Sauron---probably more to bad geographic luck then anything
else---as were the people of Numenor (who were fair-skinned).



Mike.
Newsgroups: alt.fan.tolkien