From: boulton@netcom.com (David A. Boulton)
Subject: Re: Tolkien a Racist?
Organization: Peregrine Associates -- Redwood City, CA
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 02:11:44 GMT

Below is the text of the two letters that people have been 
referring to. 

As for what this tells us about JRRT's racial views -- I think 
the answer is 'not too much'. Clearly he was anti-Nazi, but by 
mid-1938 there weren't a whole lot of Nazi sympathizers left in 
England. 

As others have said, if you see Tolkien in the context of his 
times, I think he was relatively enlightened. If, on the other 
hand, you judge him by the standards of today, I doubt that 
you will find him to be always politically correct.

Anyway, here are the letters, quoted from Carpenter's "Letters 
of JRRT". Typohs are, of course, mine. Stuff in [brackets] is
by Carpenter, not Tolkien.

---------------------------------

29   From a letter to Stanley Unwin    25 July 1938

[Allen & Unwin had negotiated the publication of a German 
translation of _The Hobbit_ with R\"utten & Loening of Potsdam. 
This firm wrote to Tolkien asking if he was of 'arisch' (aryan) 
origin.] 

I must say the enclosed letter from R\"utten and Loening is a 
bit stiff. Do I suffer this impertinence because of the 
possesion of a German name, or do their lunatic laws require a 
certificate of 'arisch' origin from all persons of all 
countries? 

Personally I should be inclined to refuse to give any 
_Best\"atigung_ [footnote: German, 'confirmation'] (although it 
happens that I can) and let a German translation go hang. In any 
case I should object strongly to any such declaration appearing 
in print. I do not regard the (probable) absence of all Jewish 
blood as necessarily honourable; and I have many Jewish friends, 
and should regret giving any colour to the notion that I 
subscribe to the wholly pernicious and unscientific 
race-doctrine. 

You are primarily concerned, and I cannot jeopardize the chance 
of a German publication without your approval. So I submit two 
drafts of possible answers. 




30   To R\"utten & Loening Verlag

[One of the 'two drafts' mentioned by Tolkien in the previous 
letter. This is the only one preserved in the Allen & Unwin 
files, and it seems therefore very probably that the English 
publishers sent the other one to Germany. It is clear that in 
that letter Tolkien refused to make any declaration of 'arisch' 
origin.] 

25 July 1938                          20 Northmoor Road, Oxford

Dear Sirs,

Thank you for your letter.....I regret that I am not clear as 
to what you intend by _arisch_. I am not of _Aryan_ extraction: 
that is Indo-iranian; as far as I am aware none of my ancestors 
spoke Hindustani, Persian, Gypsy, or related dialects. But if I 
am to understand that you are enquiring whether I am of _Jewish_ 
origin, I can only reply that I regret that I appear to have 
_no_ ancestors of that gifted people. My great-great grandfather 
came to England in the eighteenth century from Germany: the main 
part of my descent is therefore purely English, and I am an 
English subject - which should be sufficient. I have been 
accustomed, nonetheless, to regard my German name with pride, 
and continued to do so throughout the period of the late 
regrettable war, in which I served in the English army. I 
cannot, however forbear to comment that if impertinent and 
irrelevant inquiries of this sort are to become the rule in 
matters of literature, then the time is not far distant when a 
German name will no longer be a source of pride. 

Your enquiry is doubtless made in order to comply with the laws 
of your own country, but that this should be held to apply to 
the subjects of another state would be improper, even if it had 
(as it has not) any bearing whatsoever on the merits of my work 
or its suitability for publication, of which you appear to have 
satisfied yourselves without reference to my _Abstammung_. 
[footnote: German, 'descent, genealogy'] 

I trust you will find this reply satisfactory, and 
                       remain yours faithfully,
                       J. R. R. Tolkien

-- 
-- David A. Boulton                 | knowledge is just a polite
-- boulton@netcom.com               | term for dead, 
-- Peregrine Associates             | but not buried imagination.
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