NP "racist" Tolkien?

[Dave Monroe]

On the other hand ...

--- jbor <jbor at bigpond.com> wrote:
> 
> And, perhaps, not at all.

Entire races are generally either good or evil in
Tolkien's texts.  There are exceptions, and they are
among the more interesting characters (e.g., Gollum),
but, in TLOTR, for example, these are generally
brought about by the influence of The Ring.  I can't
even find the damn post anymore, but ...

http://www.blink.org.uk/pdescription.asp?key=1486&grp=1

... but the "evil" races (orcs, trolls) ARE largely
marked as "swarthy" or somesuch, while the "good" ones
are fair et al.  Along with other signifiers  of
"inferiority" often applied to, esp., Africans in,
e.g., classic British adventure literature.  Again,
this is not entirely consistent, but it is pervasive. 
And par for the course in "Western" literature,
mythology, folklore, what have you.  In Tolkien's
mythography, of course, biology is largely destiny
precisely because said "evil" races are bred, I
believe from, actually, but at least "in mockery of" I
believe is the phrase, the good ones, by evil figures
(Melkor/Morgoth, Saruman).  Which nonetheless hardly
mitigates their racial coding ...
 
> That's all the argument is, that - knowing when it
> was written, who it was written by, understanding
> what racism is etc etc - it's still possible to
> read/receive the text as not "reproducing racisms",
> as not having been written by someone who was
> consciously or unconsciously "reproducing racisms".

Of course it is.  If one doesn't recognize what might
well be racist encodings therein and read them as
such.  Judith Halberstam (Skin Shows) makes an
interesting and convincing case for Dracula (in not
only the Bram Stoker novel but in subsequent
adaptations, e.g., as played by Bela Lugosi, as drawn
upon by, er, Count Chocula ...) as embodying
anti-semitic stereotypes.  In the meantime, Franco
Moretti (Signs Taken for Wonders) makes an interesting
and convincing case for Dracula as the embodiment of
the Protestant ethic, but ... well, y'all know I've no
problem admitting BOTH arguments, so ... But my
argument is, said elements exist as such regardless
of, despite, in direct contradiction of, whatever,
authorial intention, readerly reception, critical
reaction, whatever ...

> You simply can't or won't allow either possibility.

I've never disallowed the possibility of any given
reading, esp. in light of its actually having been
made, esp. in light of its being made repeatedly,
daily, hourly, even ...

> Anyone who doesn't see it your way is neurotic

No, the neurosis here is the sheer amount of fuss that
you'll put up here up seemingly nigh unto any time
Doug or I post anything ...

> or an idiot, or ignorant

Hardly my words there ...

> or uncritical, or hasn't given the case serious
> consideration. 

Which I tend to see as synonymous, and which I did at
least actually use here, so ... but you'll also note
that, in the grand scheme of things, I don't typically
post in favor of or against, much less make, any
particular argument here.  Again, brainstorming vs.
gladitorial combat here ...

> Sorry, I just don't buy that.

And here's me needing bus fare home tonight.  You
wouldn't happen to have a buck-fifty to spare ...

> As I said before, for whatever reason/s it's done,
> labelling something like _TLOTR_ "racist" when it
> isn't actually distracts attention from, and makes
> people sceptical of the identification of, those
> aspects of our various world cultures which are
> racist, and which are potentially and actually
> destructive.

Rhetoric.  Demagoguery.  Attempted, at any rate. 
Whatever ...

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