pynchon-l-digest V2 #2964

[MysteryTramp999 at aol.com]

>i think you're being much too literal. you're talking as if there really are
>elves and trolls that you could absolutely argue were *not human*.
>
>it doesn't gel with the text and film you say. it doesn't gel with reality
>either. those different species must be representative of something.  apes?
>monkeys? lions?  that doesn't gel.

Middle-earth freak here!  According to Tolkien, the Orcs created by
Sauron are "corrupted Elves."  It's hinted that they've been tortured,
broken, starved, and in general treated not at all nicely, for many
years.  The Uruk-hai are superior Orcs, not as sensitive to sunlight,
created by Saruman.  Apparently, they're a combination of Orcs and 
Wild Men.  So they're created by evil beings and not natural.

That's how it's explained in the book, "Lord of the Rings," and in 
letters written by Tolkien.  The movie does it differently.

Diana