Racism: Difference between revisions

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{{cleanup}}[[File:Catherine Chmiel - The Fellowship of the Ring.jpg|thumb|The [[Fellowship of the Ring]] is a diverse group that subverts racial relations within the narrative. Art by [[Catherine Chmiel]]]]
{{quote|For years, Tolkien scholars have waged a fight on two fronts: against an academic establishment that for the most part refused to take the author's work seriously, and against white supremacists who have tried to claim the professor as one of their own.|David Ibata, ''Chicago Tribune''<ref>http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/movies/chi-030112epringsrace,0,341461.story</ref>}}
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{{quote|For years, Tolkien scholars have waged a fight on two fronts: against an academic establishment that for the most part refused to take the author's work seriously, and against white supremacists who have tried to claim the professor as one of their own.|David Ibata, ''Chicago Tribune''<ref>{{webcite|author=David Ibata|articleurl=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2003/01/12/lord-of-racism-critics-view-trilogy-as-discriminatory/|articlename=‘Lord’ of racism? Critics view trilogy as discriminatory|dated=18 August 2019|website=[https://www.chicagotribune.com/ Chicago Tribune]|accessed=26 February 2024}}
</ref>}}
Some fans and critics of [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]'s works could observe several ambiguously '''racist and race-based elements'''; these go further into stereotyping or the symbolism of good versus evil in Tolkien's [[legendarium]]. Though the latter is the more established and valid area of study, as early as the first edition of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' the topic of 'race' has been discussed, including by [[C.S. Lewis]].<ref>[[C.S. Lewis]], ''[[The Dethronement of Power]]''</ref>


[[File:The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King - Haradrim.jpg|thumb|225px|''[[Haradrim]]'' from [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (film series)]]]]
Tolkien denounced Hitler,<ref name=l45>{{L|45}}</ref> Nazi beliefs, "race-doctrine",<ref name=l29>{{L|29}}</ref> and apartheid,<ref>{{L|61}}</ref> and praised the Jews, calling them a "gifted people"<ref name=l30>{{L|30}}</ref>
[[Image:John Howe - Easterlings.jpg|thumb|[[John Howe]] - ''Easterlings'']]


Fans and critics of Tolkien's works have observed several ambiguously '''Racist and race-based elements'''; these go further into stereotyping or symbolism of good versus evil in the Tolkien's [[legendarium]]. As early as the first edition of the Lord of the Rings this topic was discussed, including by [[C.S. Lewis]] who wrote that people who dislike a clear demarcation of good and evil ''"imagine they have seen a rigid demarcation between black and white people."''
In the [[The Lord of the Rings Foreword|Foreword]] to the revised edition of ''The Lord of the Rings'', Tolkien cautioned strongly against viewing it as an allegory, stating that he cordially disliked allegory.<ref>{{FR|Foreword}}</ref> He reiterated this sentiment in response to suggestions of racial allegory in his works.<ref name=l29/> Therefore his intentions should be viewed as being set aside from the social-political domain and entirely focused within a fantasy-fiction context.


Tolkien's legendarium also makes many references to topics related by extension to racialism, such as eugenics, bloodlines, and (by extension) even the superiority of heredity over other authorities.
Christine Chism mentions the issue of racism in the ''[[J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia: Scholarship and Critical Assessment|J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia]]'', where she distinguishes accusations as falling into three categories: intentional racism, unconscious Eurocentric bias, and an evolution from latent racism in Tolkien's early work to a conscious rejection of racist tendencies in his late work.<ref>Christine Chism, "Race and Ethnicity in Tolkien's Works" In [[Michael Drout|Drout, Michael]] (ed.). [[J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia]]</ref>


Some of these accusations of racism may be partially explained by a wider reading of Tolkien's works or a deeper thematic analysis, and others are more difficult to dismiss. In Tolkien's extensive letters one can find both comments that can be interpreted as racism as well as defense against the accusations.
[[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (film series)]],<ref name=fimi>{{webcite|author=[[Dimitra Fimi]]|articleurl=https://dimitrafimi.com/2018/12/02/revisiting-race-in-tolkiens-legendarium-constructing-cultures-and-ideologies-in-an-imaginary-world/|articlename=Revisiting Race in Tolkien’s Legendarium: Constructing Cultures and Ideologies in an Imaginary World|dated=2012|website=https://dimitrafimi.com/|accessed=26 February 2024}}</ref> and more recently ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power]]'' have done much to perpetuate recent popular interest in, as well as criticism of Tolkien's writings.<ref>{{webcite|author=Sam Thielman|articleurl=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/feb/20/lord-of-the-rings-amazon-series-race|articlename=‘The history of fantasy is racialized’: Lord of the Rings series sparks debate over race|dated=20 February 2022|website=[https://www.theguardia.com/us The Guardian]|accessed=29 February 2024}}</ref>
==Issues with claims of racism==
===Applying modern values to historical works===
<!--Expand-->
Many [[Tolkien studies|Tolkien scholars]] take issue with applying our modern values to Tolkien who lived from [[1892]] to [[1973]].


[[Christine Chism]] mentions the issue of racism in the ''[[J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia: Scholarship and Critical Assessment|J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia]]'', where she distinguishes accusations as falling into three categories: intentional racism, unconscious [[Wikipedia:Eurocentrism|Eurocentric]] bias, and an evolution from latent racism in Tolkien's early work to a conscious rejection of racist tendencies in his late work.
Tolkien scholar, [[Dimitra Fimi]] has stated that she believes that accusing Tolkien of racism is problematic due to analysis being within the framework of modern views on race while Tolkien lived during a time when race "was [still considered] a valid scientific term".<ref>[[Dimitra Fimi]], ''Tolkien, Race, and Cultural History: From Fairies to Hobbits''</ref>
===Characters' point of view===
Many seemingly racist descriptions in dialogue might represent the speaker rather than the author. For example, [[Gollum]]'s description of the [[Haradrim]], "''Not nice; very cruel wicked [[Men]] they look. Almost as bad as [[Orcs]], and much bigger''"<ref>{{RK|Gate}}, p. 646</ref> has been described as "stereotypical and reflective of colonial attitudes". Sandra Straubhaar points out in ''[[Tolkien and the Invention of Myth]]'' that Gollum is known for having a hatred for others and his opinions should not be taken as necessarily representative of Tolkien's views.<ref>[[Jane Chance]], ''[[Tolkien and the Invention of Myth]]''</ref>
===Racial ambiguity of characters===
As Tolkien's legendarium is set in a fictional world, race does not work the same as in our [[Primary World]]. There are different races (eg. [[Dwarves]] and [[Elves]]) and groups within these (eg. [[Gondorians]] and Haradrim). None of these groups are a 1-1 match to any race in our world. Except for the few situations in which Tolkien explicitly states it, any claims as to the real-world race that a character or ([[Arda]]) race is based on is reader interpretation and cannot be definitively said to have been a result of racism, intentional or not.


In the Foreword to the revised edition of ''The Lord of the Rings'', Tolkien cautioned strongly against viewing it as an allegory, saying that he disliked allegory himself. Furthermore, according to his own claims, Tolkien denounced Hitler, Nazi beliefs, "race-doctrine" and apartheid and praised the Jews, calling them a "gifted people" (see below).
Often the only clues we have to go on for which (real-world) race a character/race is most similar to or based upon, are short, often metaphorical descriptions that are subject to debate. For example [[Samwise Gamgee]] is twice referred to as having "brown hands",<ref>{{TT|Stairs}}</ref><ref>{{RK|Tower}}</ref> leading some to argue that Sam is "non-white".<ref>{{webcite|articleurl=https://askmiddlearth.tumblr.com/post/106609134600/sam-gamgees-brown-hands|articlename=Sam Gamgee’s Brown Hands|website=[https://askmiddlearth.tumblr.com Ask About Middle-Earth]}}</ref>


The global popularity of [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (film series)]] has done much to perpetuate popular interest in, as well as criticism of, Tolkien's writing.  
==Perceived racism in Tolkien's works==<!-- These are not to be taken as definite. This list cites claims pointed out by critics, right or wrong, and can be 'countered'. -->
===Men===
[[Image:John Howe - Easterlings.jpg|thumb|''Easterlings'' by [[John Howe]]]]
One potentially racist element in [[Middle-earth]] is that the majority of the [[Men]] who serve [[Sauron]] are the dark-skinned peoples of the [[Easterlings (First Age)|Easterling]]s and [[Southrons]]. They come from the South and East of Middle-earth, corresponding with Asia and Africa in the loose connection between Middle-earth geography and that of the real world.


==Indications==<!-- These are not to be taken as definite. This list cites claims pointed out by critics, right or wrong. In case they can be 'countered', this is discussed in the next section -->
The [[Easterlings]] are aligned with [[Morgoth]] or Sauron with the exception of [[Bór]]'s folk. They are described as being of fairly dark skin complexion, swarthy and exceedingly cruel. The Southrons (or Haradrim) are described as black-skinned, cruel and evil.  


===Orcs===
In some cases, people having the slightest blood relation to enemies, like [[Freca]] and [[Wulf]], who are related to the [[Dunlendings]], are presented as evil themselves,<ref>{{App|Eorl}}</ref> further suggesting the idea that evilness is hereditary or inherent to the race. Some of these are also called "swarthy" (dark). [[Bill Ferny]] is said to be swarthy,<ref>{{FR|Strider}} p. 165</ref> however the rest of the mostly benign and hearty [[Men of Bree]] are also descended from Dunlendings.<ref>{{App|Men}}</ref>
The mostly white Free Peoples of Middle-Earth doing battle with the hordes of beast-like orcs is seen by some as an indication of racism.  


Of the orcs, the [[Uruk-Hai]] are described as "black <ref>''The Lord of the Rings'' book two chapter 5: ''"some are large and evil: black Uruks of Mordor"'' and appendix A: ''"In the last years of Denethor I the race of uruks, black orcs of great strength, first appeared out of Mordor"''</ref> and a smaller orc, a tracker, is described as "black-skinned".<ref>''The Lord of the Rings'' book six chapter 2 ''"it was of a small breed, black-skinned, with wide and snuffling nostrils: evidently a tracker of some kind."''</ref> All orcs are often described as "slant-eyed" and the Uruk-Hai at least refer to the Rohirrim as 'white skins.' In one of his letters, Tolkien described Orcs as ''"...squat, broad, flat-nosed, sallow-skinned, with wide mouths and slant eyes; in fact degraded and repulsive versions of the (to Europeans) least lovely Mongol-types."''([[Letter 210]])
While the Easterlings and the Haradrim are dark-skinned people in the service of the Enemy, the [[Woses]] are primitive, small, and alien compared to other peoples (their chief [[Ghân-buri-Ghân]] only wears a grass skirt) yet they are valuable allies. While Tolkien does not mention their skin colour, they were considered monsters by the [[Rohirrim]] who hunted them as animals, which the narrative explicitly condemns. However, in the [[First Age]] they were counted as [[Edain]], or noble Men, and were allies of the Elves.<ref>{{UT|Druedain}}</ref>


While Tolkien's statement comparing Orcs to the "Mongol-types" is undoubtedly insensitive given today's standards, he does put a disclaimer, "(to Europeans,)" before "least lovely", at least recognizing Western cultural bias and also points out that they were "degraded and repulsive versions" of "Mongol-types", not actual "Mongol-types". It is worth noting that some Orcs use crooked or bent swords (Tolkien also uses the term scimitar, which are historically associated with the Middle-East).
However, not all enemies are non-white. Noteworthy examples are [[Gríma]], and at least three of the [[Nazgûl]]. Indeed, while during the timeframe of the [[War of the Ring]], those enslaved and serving Sauron were darker skinned people from the South and East, during the history of Middle-earth many of the white races of man and even some Elves were fooled and coerced by the Enemy.


Orcs however, are not men. Unlike the wicked men who serve the Enemy, who might have been enslaved or beguiled, orcs are portrayed as irredeemably evil, or at least having a redemption outside the scope of the narrative. The origin of orcs is not clear, but they may be products of Morgoth's sorcery, or the descendants of tortured and ruined elves or men. Regardless of their origins they are not presented as a natural race.
In the War of the Ring, the human enemies are not truly evil, since they are described as deceived, enslaved or exploited. They are portrayed in a much more sympathetic light when Sam sees a dead warrior of [[Harad]] and wonders if he was truly evil — or rather deceived or coerced to go to war. The Dunlendings are persuaded by [[Saruman]] to attack [[Rohan]], playing on their grievances due to [[Gondor]] giving what they considered their land to the [[Éothéod]], the ancestors of the Rohirrim. Earlier, Sauron persuaded their ancestors to fight against the [[Númenóreans]], the cause of their relocation from forests into the hills. Additionally, after the War of the Ring, King [[Aragorn|Elessar]] pardoned and made peace with the Easterlings and Haradrim.<ref>{{RK|Steward}}, p. 968</ref>


===Light vs. Dark===
Tolkien also wrote that the [[Blue Wizards]], were sent into the South and East lands to spread dissent and resistance against Sauron.<ref>{{PM|Last}}, pp. 384-5</ref> While he wrote on one occasion (as given in ''[[Unfinished Tales]]'') that they failed, on another occasion (as given in ''[[The Peoples of Middle-earth]]'') he wrote that they were successful, making Sauron's hold on these lands throughout the centuries significantly weaker than it should have been. This prevented Sauron from overwhelming the West with his armies and ultimately contributed to his defeat in the War of the Ring. This means that Southrons and Easterlings resisting Sauron were meant to exist, only that their stories remain untold.
Some critics have declared that there is racism in Tolkien's works through his use of the words such as "light" and "white" vs. "dark" or "black". In 2002, John Yatt in ''The Guardian'' wrote: "White men are good, 'dark' men are bad, orcs are worst of all."<ref>The Guardian (2 December 2002)</ref>. Other critics such as [[Tom Shippey]] and [[Michael D.C. Drout]] disagree with such clear-cut generalizations of Tolkien's "white" and "dark" men into good and bad.
===Orcs===
[[File:Abe Papakhian - Orcs and Uruks.jpg|right|thumb|''The Fighting Uruk-hai & the Orcs of [[Barad-dûr|Lugburz]]'' by [[:Category:Images by Abe Papakhian|Abe Papakhian]]]]
Stephen Shapiro, a cultural studies expert, has compared the small group of protagonists (the [[Fellowship of the Ring]]) against hordes of foreign enemies as representative of the long history of Anglo-European's fear of non-Europeans.<ref>{{webcite|author=|articleurl=https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/film-and-tv/lord-of-the-rings-labelled-racist-2461845|articlename=Lord of the Rings labelled racist|dated=14 December 2002|website=[https://www.scotsman.com/ The Scotsman]|accessed=26 February 2024}}</ref>


The whole of Tolkien's Legendarium contains a conflict between ''literal'' light (The Trees, the [[Silmarils]]) and darkness (the literal absence of light). Morgoth's standard was ''"sable unblazoned"'' (that is, plain black). ''"Mordor"'' means "black land" in Sindarin. This ongoing clash may be interpreted as containing racial symbolism of light skinned versus dark skinned peoples, although Eol, father of Maeglin was known as the Dark Elf, and the Moriquendi were called the Elves of Darkness, although both these terms refer to remaining outside the light of the two trees, not to skin tone. The [[Black Númenóreans]] are likewise named because of the color of their allegiance to Sauron and their heraldry, not their skin tone.
Of the Orcs, the [[Uruk-Hai]] are described as "black"<ref>{{FR|Bridge}}, p. 329</ref> and a smaller Orc, a tracker, is described as "black-skinned".<ref>{{RK|Shadow}}, p. 924</ref> All Orcs are often described as "slant-eyed"<ref>{{TT|Uruk}}, p. 451</ref> and the Uruk-Hai at least refer to the Rohirrim as '[[whiteskins]]'.<ref>{{TT|Uruk}}</ref> Tolkien described Orcs as ''"...squat, broad, flat-nosed, sallow-skinned, with wide mouths and slant eyes; in fact degraded and repulsive versions of the (to Europeans) least lovely Mongol-types"''<ref name=l210>{{L|210}}</ref>


But white is not associated only with Good. [[Saruman]] the White has the [[White Hand]] as his symbol. Similarly black is not only associated with evil as Gondor uses a black standard bearing the White Tree, and the Guards of the Citadel of Minas Tirith wore black chain mail. In [[The Peoples of Middle-earth]], three Númenórean ships are followed by a boat with black sails. One of the mariners explains to a native of Middle-earth, scared that the black sails indicate doom, that the blackness is in fact a thing of beauty, the night sky of Elbereth (who kindled the stars). Indeed, Tolkien states that one of Morgoth's (literally, the ''Black Enemy'') victories was in associating darkness and night with fear and evil.
While Tolkien's statement comparing Orcs to the "Mongol-types" may be interpreted as racist, he does put a disclaimer, "(to Europeans,)" before "least lovely", recognizing Western cultural bias and also pointing out that they were "degraded and repulsive versions" of "Mongol-types", not actual "Mongol-types". Additionally, this was in a time period where racial stereotypes of Mongols were more acceptable and less questioned so Tolkien's use of the phrase "Mongol-types" may have been just a descriptor, separate from any views he may have held on Mongolia or Mongols. It is worth noting that some Orcs use crooked or bent swords (Tolkien also uses the term scimitar, which is historically associated with the Middle East).<ref>{{TT|Departure}}</ref>


===Evil Men===
Orcs, however, are not Men. Unlike the wicked Men who serve the Enemy, who might have been enslaved or beguiled, Orcs are portrayed as irredeemably evil, or at least having a redemption outside the scope of the narrative. The [[Orcs/Origin|origin of Orcs]] is not clear, but they may be products of Morgoth's sorcery or the descendants of tortured and ruined Elves or Men. Regardless of their origins, they are not presented as a natural race.<ref>{{S|3}}</ref>
One potentially racist element in Middle-Earth is that the majority of the men who serve Sauron are the dark-skinned peoples of the [[Easterlings (First Age)|Easterling]]s and [[Southrons]]. They come from the South and East of Middle-Earth, corresponding with Asia and Africa in the loose connection between Middle-Earth geography and that of the real world.
===Dwarves as Jews===
The Easterlings are aligned with Morgoth or Sauron with the exception of Bór's folk. They are described as being of fairly dark skin complexion, swarthy and exceedingly cruel. The Southrons (or Haradrim) are described as black-skinned, cruel and evil, and are apparently at least inspired by Indian cultures with traits such as fighting on [[Mumakil]]-back.
[[File:Henning Janssen - The Long Lost Treasure Casatshok.jpg|thumb|''The Long Lost Treasure Casatshok'' by [[Henning Janssen]]]]
:''See also: [[#Nazism and Judaism]]''
Tolkien himself compared Dwarves to Jews:


In some cases, people having the slightest blood relation to enemies, like [[Freca]] and [[Wulf]], who are related to the [[Dunlendings]], are presented as evil themselves, as if evilness is hereditary. Some of these are also called "swarthy" (dark). Bill Ferny is said to be swarthy, and this can be traced to his Dunlending ancestry.
{{blockquote|The dwarves of course are quite obviously... couldn't you say that in many ways they remind you of the Jews? Their words are Semitic obviously, constructed to be Semitic. [...] There's a tremendous love of the artefact, and of course the immense warlike capacity of the Jews, which we tend to forget nowadays.|J.R.R. Tolkien to [[Denys Gueroult]]<ref name=interview>''[[An Interview with J.R.R.T.]]''; the second phrase was edited out of the broadcast but published in Zak Cramer's "Jewish Influences in Middle-earth", in [[Mallorn 44|''Mallorn'' 44]] ([[2006]]), p. 10</ref>}}


While the Easterlings and the Haradrim are dark-skinned people in the service of the Enemy, the [[Woses]] are primitive, small, and alien compared to other peoples (their chief Ghan-buri-Ghan only wears a grass skirt) yet they are valuable allies (in ''The Return of the King''). While Tolkien does not mention their skin colour, they were considered monsters by the Rohirrim who hunted them as animals, which the narrative explicitly condemns. However in the First Age they were counted as ''Edain'', or noble Men, and were allies of the Elves.
In another letter, he makes the same comparison, but this time it is explicitly about both peoples being dispossessed of their lands, forced to wander the world, and adopt the languages of other lands: both were "at once natives and aliens in their habitations, speaking the languages of the country, but with an accent due to their own private tongue…"<ref>{{L|176}}</ref>


However, not all enemies are non-white. Noteworthy examples are Saruman, [[Gríma]], [[Gollum]], and at least two of the [[Nazgûl]]. Also [[Lotho Sackville-Baggins]] and the [[ruffians]] are white-skinned characters who ravage and take over [[the Shire]]. Indeed, while during the timeframe of Lord of the Rings those enslaved and serving Sauron are darker skinned people from the South and East, during the history of Middle-Earth many of the white races of man and even some Elves were fooled and coerced by the Enemy.  
Rebecca Brackman notes that although Tolkien was not a conscious antisemite, he was influenced by the popular perception towards the Jews, including by tropes and stereotypes considered "antisemitic" today; such tropes were found in classical and contemporary works including ''The Merchant of Venice'' or ''Oliver Twist'', that portrayed the Jews as greedy, alien, and as cowardly comical reliefs. The Dwarves in ''The Hobbit'' display such traits at several points in the story and are portrayed as comical, unheroic, alien, and functioning under their own interests ("dwarves are not heroes, but calculating folk with a great idea of the value of [[money]]"<ref>{{H|12}}</ref>).<ref name=brackman>Brackmann, Rebecca ([[2010]]) "[https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore/vol28/iss3/ 'Dwarves are Not Heroes': Antisemitism and the Dwarves in J.R.R. Tolkien's Writing]", [[Mythlore]]: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature: Vol. 28: No. 3, Article 7</ref>


Tolkien also wrote that the [[Blue Wizards]], who do not appear in '''The Lord of the Rings'' narrative, were sent into the South and East lands to spread dissent and resistance against Sauron. While he wrote on one occasion (as given in ''[[Unfinished Tales]]'') that they failed, on another occasion (as given in ''[[The Peoples of Middle-earth]]'') he wrote that they were successful, making Sauron's hold on these lands throughout the centuries significantly weaker than it should have been. This prevented Sauron from overwhelming the West with his armies and ultimately contributed to his defeat in the War of the Ring. This means that Southrons and Easterlings resisting Sauron were meant to exist, only that their stories remain untold.
In his later works, Tolkien paints a mostly positive picture of the dwarves ([[Gimli]] of course is brave and honourable, and "few Dwarves ever served the enemy willingly", contrary to the tales of Men<ref name="Other">{{App|Other}}</ref>) and elsewhere he made explicitly positive statements about the Jewish people.<ref name=l30/>


===Racism in Middle-earth===
However, one of the weaknesses of the Dwarves was their greed for [[gold]] and other riches, amplified by the [[Seven Rings]].<ref>{{S|Rings}}</ref> Some see a connection between this and the stereotype of the Jewish usurer. It is also possible to draw a connection between the bearded Dwarves and the beards of Orthodox Jews. This, though, has more of an origin in Norse mythology than Jewish stereotypes.
Tolkien portrays racism within the "heroic" races as unabashedly negative. Elves and Dwarves distrust each other. Some Elves hunted the Petty-dwarves as animals, as did the Rohirrim to the [[Woses]]. The friendship between [[Legolas]] and [[Gimli]] is portrayed as unusual but commendable, and several scenes illustrate them learning to understand and respect each other's cultural differences. When [[Gimli]] takes a strand of [[Galadriel]]'s hair, he is described as having ''"look[ed] into the heart of an enemy and saw there love and understanding."''
 
===Númenóreans===
<!--Expand, sourcing-->
[[File:Turner Mohan - Tar-Míriel.jpg|thumb|''Tar-Míriel'' by [[:Category:Images by Turner Mohan|Turner Mohan]]]]
Tolkien has divine beings blessing or gifting peoples or persons and their descendants, having thus the concept of the chosen people who differ from others — in Tolkien's case, the [[Dúnedain]] (literally "Men of the West") of [[Númenor]]. It should be also noted that according to Theosophy, Ariosophy and Nazism, the Aryan race is supposedly descended from [[Atlantis]].<ref>Alfred Rosenberg, ''[[Wikipedia:The_Myth_of_the_Twentieth_Century|The Myth of the Twentieth Century]]''</ref>
 
Although gifted, many of Tolkien's Númenóreans are evil. In the Appendices to the Return of the King, Númenórean fleets sail to Middle-earth, where they conquer and subjugate native peoples in what may be a commentary on European imperialism. The Númenóreans ultimately cause their own downfall by following the teachings of Morgoth, conducting human sacrifices, and making war on Valinor. At least three of the Nazgûl are Númenóreans.
===Light vs. Dark===
Some critics have declared that there is racism in Tolkien's works through his use of words such as "light" and "white" vs. "dark" or "black". For instance, in [[2002]], John Yatt in ''The Guardian'' wrote: "White men are good, 'dark' men are bad, orcs are worst of all."<ref>{{webcite|author=John Yatt|articleurl=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2002/dec/02/jrrtolkien.lordoftherings|articlename=Wraiths and race|dated=2 December 2002|website=[https://www.theguardia.com/us The Guardian]|accessed=26 February 2024}}
</ref> Other critics disagree with such clear-cut generalizations of Tolkien's "white" and "dark" men into good and bad.


It is notable that there is apparently racism within the ranks of Orcs as the Uruk-hai held themselves as superior to the common Orcs, whom they called ''snaga'' (slave).
The whole of Tolkien's legendarium contains a conflict between "light" ([[Two Trees of Valinor|The Trees]], the [[Silmarils]]) and "darkness" (the literal absence of light). Morgoth's standard was ''"sable unblazoned"'' (that is, plain black).<ref>{{S|18}}</ref> ''"[[Mordor]]"'' means "black land" in [[Sindarin]].<ref>{{L|144}}</ref> If one were to analyse this through a racial lense, the ongoing clash may be interpreted as containing racial symbolism of light skinned versus dark skinned peoples, although [[Eöl]], father of [[Maeglin]] was known as the Dark Elf,<ref>{{S|Maeglin}}</ref> and the [[Moriquendi]] were called the Elves of Darkness. Both these terms refer to remaining outside the light of the two trees, not to skin tone. The [[Black Númenóreans]] are likewise named because of the colour of their allegiance to Sauron and their heraldry, not their skin tone. Considering this, Tolkien's assignment of Good and Evil to "light" and "dark" cannot simply be dismissed as racial undertones within the broader narrative.  


The point-of-view characters of the book -- the hobbits -- are themselves of a race that is frequently described as being overlooked, under-estimated, and lightly regarded by the other races of Middle-earth, yet they often demonstrate far greater courage and nobility than the races who denigrate them. They are not without prejudice, however, and Gandalf is shown reprimanding Frodo for his comments on [[Barliman Butterbur]].
As [[Tom Shippey]] points out, it is important to view the context behind the writing. Tolkien wrote as if he were writing a medieval text from the perspective of a prescientific medieval people.
{{blockquote|The mention in ‘The Battle of the Pelennor Fields’ of ‘black men like half-trolls’ certainly sounds racist. I think I would say here that Tolkien at this point is trying to write like a medieval chronicler, and when medieval Europeans first encountered sub-Saharan Africans, they were genuinely confused about them, and rather frightened. As Tolkien pointed out in his early scholarly works, the ancient English seemed to have a belief in fire-demons, who naturally enough had skin like soot – their word for them, ‘harwan’, is related to Latin ‘carbo’, ‘soot,’ or carbon. An Anglo-Saxon meeting an African for the first time might then really wonder (for a moment, from a distance) whether this was a demon from his own mythology. This doesn’t mean that Tolkien shared the mythology, or the mistake.<ref name=fimi/>|Tom Shippey}}


The Númenóreans of Gondor fell to infighting because of a supposed need for racial purity, especially concerning the ancestry of their king (the [[Kin-strife]]), and grew weaker as a result. In this affair, the villain was the pure-blooded Númenórean [[Castamir]] while the hero was the half-Númenórean [[Eldacar (King of Gondor)|Eldacar]].
White is also not always associated with good. Noteworthy examples are [[Gríma]], [[Gollum]], and at least two of the Nazgûl. [[Lotho Sackville-Baggins]] and the [[ruffians]] are white-skinned characters who ravage and take over [[the Shire]]. Saruman the White and his symbol the [[White Hand]] are associated with evil and corruption. Orcs are described as "sallow" (pale).<ref name=l210/> Similarly black is not only associated with evil as Gondor uses a black standard bearing the White Tree, and the Guards of the Citadel of Minas Tirith wore black chain mail. In [[The Peoples of Middle-earth]], three Númenórean ships are followed by a boat with black sails. One of the mariners explains to a native of Middle-earth, scared that the black sails indicate doom, that the blackness is in fact a thing of beauty, the night sky of Elbereth (who kindled the stars). Indeed, Tolkien states that one of Morgoth's (literally, the ''Black Enemy'') victories was in associating darkness and night with fear and evil.


===Dwarves as Jews===
The symbolism of light as good and dark as evil is ever-present in much of literature, modern and historical. Light vs. dark is a prehistoric dichotomy present in a great many cultures, Western and otherwise. A common theme, it is seen in religion from all parts of the world,<ref>{{webcite|author=|articleurl=https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/light-and-darkness|articlename=Light and Darkness|dated=|website=|accessed=29 February 2024}}</ref> including [[Christianity]] (John 8:12 Jesus Christ said, "I am the Light of the World, Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.")<ref>{{webcite|author=Lori Braman|articleurl=https://knowledge.e.southern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1051&context=senior_research|articlename=The Silmarillion: Tolkien's Guise for Christian Realism|dated=2003|website=|accessed=29 February 2024}}</ref>
===Moral geography===
[[File:John Magoun, Moral Geography of Middle-earth.png|right|thumb|Moral geography of Middle-earth according to John Magoun]]
Tolkien wrote that Arda was not a different fantasy universe but a fictional era in Earth's history.<ref>{{L|183}}</ref> This has led to criticisms with some similarities noticed between the peoples in different regions of Middle-earth and their corresponding Earth location. It has also been pointed out that [[Aman]], the Blessed Realm, is the westernmost part of Arda which areas in the South and East are often associated with evil.<ref>John Magoun, ''[[J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia: Scholarship and Critical Assessment]]''</ref>


Tolkien himself compared Dwarves to Jews:
It should be noted that Tolkien only made precise ''geographic'' correspondences of [[Third Age]] Middle-earth locations to those in the real world. For example, [[Hobbiton]] was at the latitude of [[Oxford]].<ref name=l294>{{L|294}}</ref> The Shire was based upon, but ''was not actually'' rural England, since "the lands [have] changed" since then.<ref name=hobbits/> Tolkien made no precise correspondences regarding the ''peoples'' concerned. Though the [[Hobbits]] were based upon rural English folk, they were not literally ancient Englishmen. He never said that Harad was Africa, nor the Eastlands Asia, nor their inhabitants' ancestors of Africans or Asians.
{{quote|"The dwarves of course are quite obviously - wouldn't you say that in many ways they remind you of the Jews? Their words are Semitic obviously, constructed to be Semitic."|J.R.R. Tolkien<ref>http://www.daisy.freeserve.co.uk/jrrt_int.htm</ref>}}
One may interpret this comment in many ways. It should be noted that he only made an explicit connection between the dwarf-language [[Khuzdul]] to Semitic languages. In another letter, he makes the same comparison, but this time it is explicitly about both peoples being dispossessed of their lands, forced to wander the world, and adopt the languages of other lands: both were "at once natives and aliens in their habitations, speaking the languages of the country, but with an accent due to their own private tongue…" ([[Letter 176]])


Throughout the books, Tolkien paints a mostly positive picture of the dwarves ([[Gimli]] of course is brave and honourable, and it is stated in one of the Appendices to The Lord of the Rings that "few Dwarves ever served the enemy willingly", contrary to the tales of Men) and elsewhere he made explicitly positive statements about the Jewish people.  
The ''Daily Telegraph Magazine'' suggested in a draft of an article that North was "a sacred direction" for Tolkien. He responded to this admitting that he did have an affection for it as he (and most of his ancestors) were from North-west Europe but that he did not have an exclusive preference for it and that this did not affect his writings, something that further analysis of his writings would show.<ref name=l294/>


However, one of the weaknesses of the Dwarves was their greed for gold and other riches, amplified by the [[Seven Rings]]. Some see a connection between this and the stereotype of the Jewish usurer. It is also possible to draw a connection between the bearded Dwarves and the beards of Orthodox Jews.
The East and South are not the only places that are associated with evil, especially in earlier history. In the First Age, evil came from the North when Morgoth based himself in [[Angband]]. Also, all Men and Elves first awoke in the East. [[Boromir]] is introduced as a "man from the South"<ref>{{FR|Council}}, p. 240</ref> without qualification (actually South-west).


===Númenóreans===
===Racial superiority===
The differences between races and racial hierarchy have led to the claims of racism in [[Arda]]. This claim can also be taken a step further to say for example, "The Haradrim were based on Mongolians and were bad and morally inferior to Elves and other Men so therefore Tolkien viewed Mongolians as inferior."


Tolkien has divine beings blessing or gifting peoples or persons and their descendants, having thus the concept of the [[chosen people]] who differ from others — in Tolkien's case, the Dunedain (literally "Men of the West") of Númenor. It should be also noted that according to Theosophy, Ariosophy and Nazism<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aryan_race#Occultism</ref>, the Aryan race is supposedly descended from [[Atlantis]].<ref>Alfred Rosenberg, [[Wikipedia:The_Myth_of_the_Twentieth_Century|The Myth of the Twentieth Century]]</ref>
Part of the controversy may be caused in part by the conflicting uses of the word race. When we talk about race in humans we most often mean ethnic or cultural subgroups of humans. In Tolkien's writings, race is more similar to different species. Saying that Dwarves are better blacksmiths than Men is therefore more akin to claiming humans are better blacksmiths than bears, a generally uncontroversial statement.  


==Counterindications==
While no significant proof has been found proving that any (human) races are superior,<ref>{{webcite|author=|articleurl=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aac4951|articlename=Taking race out of human genetics|dated=5 February 2016|website=|accessed=26 February 2024}}</ref> the different races of Middle-earth were created separately and in some cases by different beings. These differences are not due to failings of that particular group but to the goal their creator had in mind.
Tolkien's defenders assert that many criticisms of racism and elitism leveled at ''The Lord of the Rings'' and other writings are oversimplifications and generalizations, and do not take account of everything the author may have written concerning these matters.


*The symbolism of light as good and dark as evil is a prehistoric dichotomy present in a great many cultures, Western and otherwise. It is also a part of Christianity (John 8:12 Jesus Christ said, "I am the Light of the World, Whoever  follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."). Variations such as the Manicheeist heresy and further the ancient religion of Persia - Zoroastrianism.
Additionally, while some beings in Middle-earth are objectively more powerful than others they are not necessarily portrayed as lesser because of it. Although in Middle-earth Hobbits were considered unimportant (by those who had even heard of them) and for most of history they were content to leave and be left alone by the world,<ref name=hobbits>{{FR|Hobbits}}</ref> Hobbits had a massive influence on the events of the last Third Age, saving Middle-earth from the dominion of Sauron. In a book with [[wizards]], kings and soldiers, Tolkien stated that Sam, a gardener of the Shire, was the chief hero of the book.<ref>{{L|131}}</ref>


*Tolkien was English, and wanted to make a mythology for England. Therefore he wrote ''The Lord of the Rings''  according to his people's point of view. He could not make his protagonists, say, Incan or Japanese, or even put the setting anywhere else than (an alternative) North-western Europe, in spirit if not in actuality.
All the "superior" people, be they Elves, Edain or Dunedain, have no direct analogues with peoples of the real world. If the Dunedain could be put somewhere, they would belong in [[Atlantis]], since Númenor was Middle-earth's counterpart to Plato's Atlantis.<ref>{{L|275}}</ref> The Rohirrim, who have been parallelled to blond and fair Europeans, are "inferior" to them, being Middle Men, in their view.


*Tolkien only made precise ''geographic'' correspondences of Third Age Middle-earth locations to those in the real world. For example, [[Hobbiton]] was at the latitude of Oxford. The Shire was based upon, but ''was not actually'' rural England, since "the lands have changed" since then. Tolkien made no precise correspondences regarding the ''peoples'' concerned. Though the Hobbits were based upon rural English folk, they were not literally ancient Englishmen. He never said that Harad was Africa, nor the Eastlands Asia, nor their inhabitants ancestors of Africans or Asians. ''The Silmarillion'' presents tales of a time when the Earth's lands were different from that in the Third Age.  
===Race mixing===
Critics have noticed possible themes of scientific racism and eugenics in Tolkien's writing primarily due to actual or feared racial decline due to race mixing.<ref name=young/>


*Not only the East and South are associated with evil, and neither were they always so. In the First Age, evil came from the North when Morgoth based himself in [[Angband]]. Also, all Men and Elves first awoke in the East. Boromir is introduced as a "man of the South" without qualification (actually South-west).
Of the [[Orcs of Isengard]], [[Treebeard]] states:
{{blockquote|It is a mark of evil things that came in the Great Darkness that they cannot abide the [[Sun]]; but Saruman's Orcs can endure it, even if they hate it. I wonder what he has done? Are they Men he has ruined, or has he blended the races of Orcs and Men? That would be a black evil!<ref>{{TT|Treebeard}}, p. 473</ref>}}
*The white but darker-skinned Dunlendings themselves are descendants of the [[Edain]] (through the [[House of Haleth]]), therefore distant though unrecognized relatives of the Dunedain of Numenor, and their ancestors grew hostile to the Dunedain due to the latter despoiling their forests. The mostly benign and hearty men of Bree are descended from Dunlendings.  
There were three marriages between an [[Eldar]] and Edain, [[Lúthien]] and [[Beren]], [[Idril]] and [[Tuor]], and [[Arwen]] and [[Aragorn]].<ref>{{App|Numenor}}</ref> Despite there being concerns from characters, primarily the fathers of the Elves, these unions are portrayed positively with the love story of Beren and Lúthien being inspired by his own wife, [[Edith Tolkien|Edith]].<ref>{{L|340}}</ref>


*In the War of the Ring, the human enemies are not truly evil, since they are described as deceived, enslaved or exploited. Sam sees a dead warrior of Harad and wonders if he was truly evil — or rather deceived or coerced to go to war (see below). The Dunlendings are persuaded by Saruman to attack Rohan, playing on their grievances due to Gondor giving what they considered their land to the Eotheod, the ancestors of the Rohirrim. Earlier, Sauron persuaded their ancestors to fight against the Numenoreans, the cause of their relocation from forests into the hills.
The blood of Númenor ran nearly true in the character of [[Faramir]],<ref>{{RK|MT}}</ref> a man whom Tolkien described as "modest, fair-minded and scrupulously just, and very merciful",<ref>{{L|244}}</ref> yet he chose to marry [[Éowyn]], who was a woman of Rohan and therefore undoubtedly of the race of [[Middle Men]].<ref>{{RK|Steward}}</ref><ref>{{TT|Window}}</ref>
===Racism in Middle-earth===
Tolkien portrays racism within the "heroic" races as unabashedly negative. Elves and Dwarves distrust each other. Some Elves hunted the [[Petty-dwarves]] as animals,<ref>{{S|Turin}}</ref> as did the Rohirrim to the [[Woses]].<ref>{{RK|Ride}}</ref> The friendship between [[Legolas]] and Gimli is portrayed as unusual but commendable,<ref>{{App|Later}}</ref> and several scenes illustrate them learning to understand and respect each other's cultural differences. When Gimli meets [[Galadriel]] and hears her speak the names of [[Mirrormere|Kheled-zâram]], [[Kibil-nâla]], and [[Khazad-dûm]] in his own tongue, he is described as feeling as if he had''"looked into the heart of an enemy and saw there love and understanding."''<ref>{{FR|Mirror}}, p. 356</ref> Later, when he originally asks for nothing of Lady Galadriel, although she had given every other member of the [[Fellowship]] a gift, she says, ''"Let none say again that Dwarves are grasping and ungracious!"''<ref>{{FR|Farewell}}, pp. 375-6</ref>


*Tolkien does not actually mention the physical features of the Easterlings in ''The Lord of the Rings''; however the Easterlings of ''The Silmarillion'' are described as either sallow or swarthy. There is no certainty that the Easterlings of the First Age are the same people as those of the Third Age though: in fact, many of the "white" Men of Eriador are indicated to be descendants of the First Age Easterlings.  
It is notable that there is apparently racism within the ranks of Orcs as the Uruk-hai held themselves as superior to the common Orcs, whom they called ''snaga'' (slave).<ref>{{TT|Uruk}}</ref>


*Tolkien first describes the Haradrim in ''The Lord of the Rings'' as tall, dark, and looking fierce and nasty (according to [[Gollum]]), with long black hair, painted faces and gold earrings and ornaments. Later a warrior of Harad who falls at Sam's feet has black plaits of hair braided with gold. Notably, the author does not describe them as black, nor their hair as kinky, nor give them any other typical sub-Saharan African features.
The point-of-view characters of the book -- the hobbits -- are themselves of a race that is frequently described as being overlooked, under-estimated, and lightly regarded by the other races of Middle-earth, yet they often demonstrate far greater courage and nobility than the races who denigrate them. They are not without prejudice, however, and [[Gandalf]] is shown reprimanding [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] for his comments on [[Barliman Butterbur]].<ref>{{FR|Meetings}}, pp. 220-1</ref>


*All the "superior" people, be they Elves, Edain or Dunedain, have no direct analogues in peoples of the real world. If the Dunedain could be put somewhere, they would belong in [[Atlantis]], since Numenor was Middle-Earth's counterpart to Plato's Atlantis. The Rohirrim, who have been parallelled to blond and fair Europeans, are "inferior" to them, being Middle Men, in their view.
The Númenóreans of Gondor fell to infighting because of a supposed need for racial purity, especially concerning the ancestry of their king (the [[Kin-strife]]), and grew weaker as a result. In this affair, the villain was the pure-blooded Númenórean [[Castamir]] while the hero was the half-Númenórean [[Eldacar (King of Gondor)|Eldacar]].


*Kings, princes, heirs and noblemen as protagonists is not necessarily an advocation of blood nobility, since it is a theme and concept common in myths and fairy-tales. Also, [[Samwise Gamgee]] represents the common man, and sees insights that more "noble" characters apparently do not, such as the true situation of the human enemies. Note that in a letter (#131), Tolkien states that Sam is the chief hero of the whole book.
==Counterindications== <!-- I've moved defences of individual claims to their respective sections above, this section should be used for general counterarguments against racism in the legendarium. This section needs expansion.-->


*There are no truly "perfect" peoples in Tolkien's writings, save perhaps the [[Vanyar]]. Given that Tolkien loved trees and nature in general, having his Numenoreans wantonly cut down trees for ships is decidedly negative. The Noldor rebelled against the Valar and killed their fellow Elves.
Tolkien's defenders assert that many criticisms of racism and elitism levelled at ''The Lord of the Rings'' and other writings are oversimplifications and generalizations, and do not take account of everything the author may have written concerning these matters.


==''Lord of the Rings'' and Fascism==
While some of his views may be seen as outdated today, Tolkien was fairly progressive for his time when it came to race. It seems unlikely that Tolkien who opposed the idea that some races were superior to others would choose to consciously use that as an element in his writings.


In Italy, ''Lord of the Rings'' is considered fascist by some groups and Italian fascist organisations are allegedly using the book for recruiting.<ref>http://www.johnreilly.info/ata.htm</ref> According to Italian website [http://www.caltanet.it/frm/cinema/ Caltanet], [[Wikipedia:Alleanza Nazionale|Alleanza Nazionale]], a right-oriented Italian political party, had taken a picture from ''Fellowship of the Ring'' movie to promote a speech by his leader, [[Wikipedia:Gianfranco Fini|Gianfranco Fini]].<ref>http://www.theonering.net/perl/newsview/8/1001628604</ref>
Tolkien was English and wanted to make a mythology for England. Therefore he wrote ''The Lord of the Rings'' according to his people's point of view. He could not make his protagonists, say, Incan or Japanese, or even put the setting anywhere else than (an alternative) North-western Europe, in spirit if not in actuality.


Tolkien's works have also been embraced by self-admitted racists such as the British National Party.<ref>The Sunday Times - [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/article804465.ece The BNP has declared Lord of the Rings essential reading. They’re not the only extremists to get the wrong idea]</ref>
Middle-earth has been praised for its diversity and polyculturalism.<!--Expand-->
==Views==
===Nazism and Judaism===
Tolkien's German publisher, Rütten & Loening, asked if he was of ''arisch'' (Aryan) origin. This angered Tolkien who complained of the "lunatic laws" and "wholly pernicious and unscientific race-doctrine". He wrote that he was inclined to refuse to give proof of his Aryan origin, which would result ''The Lord of the Rings'' not being published in Germany.<ref name=l29/> Tolkien was staunchly opposed to, in his words, "that ruddy little ignoramus Adolf Hitler".<ref name=l45/>


==Relevant Passages from the text==
Tolkien was friends with many Jewish people and had great respect for them.<ref name=l29/> In one letter he writes about a Jewish historian named [[Wikipedia:Cecil Roth|Cecil Roth]]. He describes him as "charming" and "full of gentleness", writing that they stayed up until midnight talking.<ref>{{L|55}}</ref>
{{quote|It is not unlikely that they <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[Orcs]]<nowiki>]</nowiki> invented some of the machines that have since troubled the world, especially the ingenious devices for killing large numbers of people at once, for wheels and engines and explosions always delighted them"|''[[The Hobbit]]'', "Over-Hill and Under-Hill"}}


{{quote|It was Sam's first view of a battle of Men against Men, and he did not like it much. He was glad that he could not see the dead face. He wondered what the man's name was and where he came from; and if he was really evil at heart, or what lies or threats had led him on the long march from his home; and if he would not really rather have stayed there in peace.|''[[The Two Towers]]'', "[[Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit]]"}}
On the flip side, Tolkien was critical of anti-German (as opposed to anti-Nazi) propaganda during WWII.<ref name=l45/>
{{blockquote|There was a solemn article in the local paper seriously advocating systematic exterminating of the entire German nation as the only proper course after military victory: because, if you please, they are rattlesnakes, and don't know the difference between good and evil! (What of the writer?) The Germans have just as much right to declare the Poles and Jews exterminable vermin, subhuman, as we have to select the Germans: in other words, no right, whatever they have done.<ref>{{L|81}}</ref>|[[Letter 81]]}}


==Tolkien on Racism==
===Apartheid===
{{quote|I must say that the enclosed letter from Rutten & Loening is a bit stiff. Do I suffer this impertinence because of the possession 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 ''Bestätigung'' (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 subscribed to the wholly pernicious and unscientific race-doctrine.|[[Letter 29]] — Tolkien's German publishers had asked whether he was of Aryan origin}}
Tolkien was born in [[Bloemfontein]] in the [[Orange Free State]] (now the Free State province of South Africa) and moved to England at the age of three.<ref>{{B|II}}</ref> Tolkien was outspoken against apartheid.


{{quote|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 noone [sic] of my ancestors spoke Hindustani, Persian, Gypsy, or any 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.|[[Letter 30]] (Tolkien's unsent response to his German publishers; a more neutral version was ultimately sent)}}
{{blockquote|I have the hatred of apartheid in my bones; and most of all I detest the segregation or separation of Language and Literature. I do not care which of them you think White.|From a [[Valedictory Address to the University of Oxford]] in [[1959]]}}
{{quote|There was a solemn article in the local paper seriously advocating systematic exterminating of the entire German nation as the only proper course after military victory: because, if you please, they are rattlesnakes, and don't know the difference between good and evil! (What of the writer?) The Germans have just as much right to declare the Poles and Jews exterminable vermin, subhuman, as we have to select the Germans: in other words, no right, whatever they have done.|J.R.R. Tolkien — September 23, 1944}}


{{quote|I have the hatred of apartheid in my bones; and most of all I detest the segregation or separation of Language and Literature. I do not care which of them you think White.|From a [[Valedictory Address to the University of Oxford]] in [[1959]]}}
{{blockquote|As for what you say or hint of ‘local’ conditions: I knew of them. I don't think they have much changed (even for the worse). I used to hear them discussed by my mother; and have ever since taken a special interest in that part of the world. The treatment of colour nearly always horrifies anyone going out from Britain, & not only in South Africa. Unfort[unately], not many retain that generous sentiment for long.|[[Letter 61]] — Written to Christopher Tolkien who was stationed in South Africa during World War II}}


{{quote|As for what you say or hint of ‘local’ conditions: I knew of them. I don't think they have much changed (even for the worse). I used to hear them discussed by my mother; and have ever since taken a special interest in that part of the world. The treatment of colour nearly always horrifies anyone going out from Britain, & not only in South Africa. Unfort[unately], not many retain that generous sentiment for long.|[[Letter 61]] — Written to Christopher Tolkien who was stationed in South Africa during World War II}}
==Usage of Tolkien's works to defend racism==
In Italy, ''The Lord of the Rings'' is considered fascist by some groups and Italian fascist organisations are allegedly using the book for recruiting.<ref>{{webcite|author=|articleurl=https://www.cbc.ca/radio/tapestry/lord-of-the-rings-italy-1.6756668?scrlybrkr=b21a79f2|articlename=How The Lord of the Rings became a symbol for Italy's far-right
|dated=27 February 2023|website=[https://www.cbc.ca/ CBC News|accessed=29 February 2024}}</ref> [[Wikipedia:Alleanza Nazionale|Alleanza Nazionale]], a right-oriented Italian political party, took a picture from ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]]'' to promote a speech by his leader, [[Wikipedia:Gianfranco Fini|Gianfranco Fini]].<ref>https://www.theonering.net/perl/newsview/8/1001628604</ref> However, Tolkien himself stated in a letter to his son in 1943 that ''My political opinions lean more and more to Anarchy (philosophically understood, meaning the abolition of control not whiskered men with bombs)-or to 'unconstitutional' Monarchy.''<ref>{{L|52}}</ref> Thus this makes any notion of Tolkien being fascist defunct.


{{quote|Anyway, I have in this War a burning private grudge—which would probably make me a better soldier at 49 than I was at 22: against that ruddy little ignoramus Adolf Hitler (for the odd thing about demonic inspiration and impetus is that it in no way enhances the purely intellectual stature: it chiefly affects the mere will). Ruining, perverting, misapplying, and making for ever accursed, that noble northern spirit, a supreme contribution to Europe, which I have ever loved, and tried to present in its true light.|[[Letter 45]]}}
Tolkien's works have also been embraced by self-admitted racists such as the British National Party.<ref>{{webcite|author=|articleurl=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/did-tolkien-have-a-racist-message-fng6ptt385x|articlename=Did Tolkien have a racist message?|dated=22 December 2002|website=[https://www.thetimes.co.uk/ thetimes.co.uk]|accessed=29 February 2024}}</ref>


Helen Young, a historian studying the connection between medievalism and white supremacy, explains the appeal of Tolkien's works to racists and white supremacists:
{{Blockquote|In Middle Earth, [sic] unlike reality, race is objectively real rather than socially constructed. There are species (elves, men, dwarves, etc.), but within those species there are races that conform to 19th-century race theory, in that their physical attributes (hair color, etc.) are associated with non-physical attributes that are both personal and cultural. There is also an explicit racial hierarchy which is, again, real in the world of the story. Middle Earth is literally a racist's fantasy land.<ref name=young>{{webcite|author=David M. Perry|articleurl=https://psmag.com/education/untangling-white-supremacy-from-medieval-studies|articlename=How Can We Untangle White Supremacy From Medieval Studies?|dated=9 October|website=[https://psmag.com/ Pacific Standard]|accessed=26 February 2024}}</ref>|Helen Young}}
==External links==
==External links==
 
*[https://middle-earth.xenite.org/2012/11/29/is-it-true-there-is-racism-in-the-lord-of-the-rings/ Is It True There is Racism in The Lord of the Rings?] by [[Michael Martinez]]
*[http://middle-earth.xenite.org/2012/11/29/is-it-true-there-is-racism-in-the-lord-of-the-rings/ Is It True There is Racism in The Lord of the Rings?] by [[Michael Martinez]]
*[https://tolkien.slimy.com/faq/External.html#Racist Portion of a Tolkien FAQ attempting to give an answer to the matter]
*[http://tolkien.slimy.com/faq/External.html#Racist Portion of a Tolkien FAQ attempting to give an answer to the matter]
*[https://www.rediff.com/news/2003/jan/08lord.htm Critique of The Lord of the Rings as an 'epic rooted in racism' by Dr Shapiro]
*[http://www.rediff.com/news/2003/jan/08lord.htm Critique of the Lord of the Rings as an 'epic rooted in racism' by Dr Shapiro]
*[https://www.chicagotribune.com/2003/01/12/lord-of-racism-critics-view-trilogy-as-discriminatory/ 'Lord' of racism? Critics view trilogy as discriminatory] by David Ibita
*[http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/chi-030112epringsrace,0,4574891.story 'Lord' of racism? Critics view trilogy as discriminatory] by Chicago Tribune
*[https://dimitrafimi.com/2018/12/02/revisiting-race-in-tolkiens-legendarium-constructing-cultures-and-ideologies-in-an-imaginary-world/ Revisiting Race in Tolkien’s Legendarium: Constructing Cultures and Ideologies in an Imaginary World] by [[Dimitra Fimi]]
{{references}}
{{references}}
[[Category:Debates]]
[[Category:Debates]]
[[category:Tolkien criticism]]
[[category:Tolkien criticism]]

Latest revision as of 22:29, 4 March 2024

"I shan't call it the end, till we've cleared up the mess." — Sam
This article or section needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of article quality.
The Fellowship of the Ring is a diverse group that subverts racial relations within the narrative. Art by Catherine Chmiel
"For years, Tolkien scholars have waged a fight on two fronts: against an academic establishment that for the most part refused to take the author's work seriously, and against white supremacists who have tried to claim the professor as one of their own."
― David Ibata, Chicago Tribune[1]

Some fans and critics of J.R.R. Tolkien's works could observe several ambiguously racist and race-based elements; these go further into stereotyping or the symbolism of good versus evil in Tolkien's legendarium. Though the latter is the more established and valid area of study, as early as the first edition of The Lord of the Rings the topic of 'race' has been discussed, including by C.S. Lewis.[2]

Tolkien denounced Hitler,[3] Nazi beliefs, "race-doctrine",[4] and apartheid,[5] and praised the Jews, calling them a "gifted people"[6]

In the Foreword to the revised edition of The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien cautioned strongly against viewing it as an allegory, stating that he cordially disliked allegory.[7] He reiterated this sentiment in response to suggestions of racial allegory in his works.[4] Therefore his intentions should be viewed as being set aside from the social-political domain and entirely focused within a fantasy-fiction context.

Christine Chism mentions the issue of racism in the J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia, where she distinguishes accusations as falling into three categories: intentional racism, unconscious Eurocentric bias, and an evolution from latent racism in Tolkien's early work to a conscious rejection of racist tendencies in his late work.[8]

The Lord of the Rings (film series),[9] and more recently The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power have done much to perpetuate recent popular interest in, as well as criticism of Tolkien's writings.[10]

Issues with claims of racism[edit | edit source]

Applying modern values to historical works[edit | edit source]

Many Tolkien scholars take issue with applying our modern values to Tolkien who lived from 1892 to 1973.

Tolkien scholar, Dimitra Fimi has stated that she believes that accusing Tolkien of racism is problematic due to analysis being within the framework of modern views on race while Tolkien lived during a time when race "was [still considered] a valid scientific term".[11]

Characters' point of view[edit | edit source]

Many seemingly racist descriptions in dialogue might represent the speaker rather than the author. For example, Gollum's description of the Haradrim, "Not nice; very cruel wicked Men they look. Almost as bad as Orcs, and much bigger"[12] has been described as "stereotypical and reflective of colonial attitudes". Sandra Straubhaar points out in Tolkien and the Invention of Myth that Gollum is known for having a hatred for others and his opinions should not be taken as necessarily representative of Tolkien's views.[13]

Racial ambiguity of characters[edit | edit source]

As Tolkien's legendarium is set in a fictional world, race does not work the same as in our Primary World. There are different races (eg. Dwarves and Elves) and groups within these (eg. Gondorians and Haradrim). None of these groups are a 1-1 match to any race in our world. Except for the few situations in which Tolkien explicitly states it, any claims as to the real-world race that a character or (Arda) race is based on is reader interpretation and cannot be definitively said to have been a result of racism, intentional or not.

Often the only clues we have to go on for which (real-world) race a character/race is most similar to or based upon, are short, often metaphorical descriptions that are subject to debate. For example Samwise Gamgee is twice referred to as having "brown hands",[14][15] leading some to argue that Sam is "non-white".[16]

Perceived racism in Tolkien's works[edit | edit source]

Men[edit | edit source]

Easterlings by John Howe

One potentially racist element in Middle-earth is that the majority of the Men who serve Sauron are the dark-skinned peoples of the Easterlings and Southrons. They come from the South and East of Middle-earth, corresponding with Asia and Africa in the loose connection between Middle-earth geography and that of the real world.

The Easterlings are aligned with Morgoth or Sauron with the exception of Bór's folk. They are described as being of fairly dark skin complexion, swarthy and exceedingly cruel. The Southrons (or Haradrim) are described as black-skinned, cruel and evil.

In some cases, people having the slightest blood relation to enemies, like Freca and Wulf, who are related to the Dunlendings, are presented as evil themselves,[17] further suggesting the idea that evilness is hereditary or inherent to the race. Some of these are also called "swarthy" (dark). Bill Ferny is said to be swarthy,[18] however the rest of the mostly benign and hearty Men of Bree are also descended from Dunlendings.[19]

While the Easterlings and the Haradrim are dark-skinned people in the service of the Enemy, the Woses are primitive, small, and alien compared to other peoples (their chief Ghân-buri-Ghân only wears a grass skirt) yet they are valuable allies. While Tolkien does not mention their skin colour, they were considered monsters by the Rohirrim who hunted them as animals, which the narrative explicitly condemns. However, in the First Age they were counted as Edain, or noble Men, and were allies of the Elves.[20]

However, not all enemies are non-white. Noteworthy examples are Gríma, and at least three of the Nazgûl. Indeed, while during the timeframe of the War of the Ring, those enslaved and serving Sauron were darker skinned people from the South and East, during the history of Middle-earth many of the white races of man and even some Elves were fooled and coerced by the Enemy.

In the War of the Ring, the human enemies are not truly evil, since they are described as deceived, enslaved or exploited. They are portrayed in a much more sympathetic light when Sam sees a dead warrior of Harad and wonders if he was truly evil — or rather deceived or coerced to go to war. The Dunlendings are persuaded by Saruman to attack Rohan, playing on their grievances due to Gondor giving what they considered their land to the Éothéod, the ancestors of the Rohirrim. Earlier, Sauron persuaded their ancestors to fight against the Númenóreans, the cause of their relocation from forests into the hills. Additionally, after the War of the Ring, King Elessar pardoned and made peace with the Easterlings and Haradrim.[21]

Tolkien also wrote that the Blue Wizards, were sent into the South and East lands to spread dissent and resistance against Sauron.[22] While he wrote on one occasion (as given in Unfinished Tales) that they failed, on another occasion (as given in The Peoples of Middle-earth) he wrote that they were successful, making Sauron's hold on these lands throughout the centuries significantly weaker than it should have been. This prevented Sauron from overwhelming the West with his armies and ultimately contributed to his defeat in the War of the Ring. This means that Southrons and Easterlings resisting Sauron were meant to exist, only that their stories remain untold.

Orcs[edit | edit source]

The Fighting Uruk-hai & the Orcs of Lugburz by Abe Papakhian

Stephen Shapiro, a cultural studies expert, has compared the small group of protagonists (the Fellowship of the Ring) against hordes of foreign enemies as representative of the long history of Anglo-European's fear of non-Europeans.[23]

Of the Orcs, the Uruk-Hai are described as "black"[24] and a smaller Orc, a tracker, is described as "black-skinned".[25] All Orcs are often described as "slant-eyed"[26] and the Uruk-Hai at least refer to the Rohirrim as 'whiteskins'.[27] Tolkien described Orcs as "...squat, broad, flat-nosed, sallow-skinned, with wide mouths and slant eyes; in fact degraded and repulsive versions of the (to Europeans) least lovely Mongol-types"[28]

While Tolkien's statement comparing Orcs to the "Mongol-types" may be interpreted as racist, he does put a disclaimer, "(to Europeans,)" before "least lovely", recognizing Western cultural bias and also pointing out that they were "degraded and repulsive versions" of "Mongol-types", not actual "Mongol-types". Additionally, this was in a time period where racial stereotypes of Mongols were more acceptable and less questioned so Tolkien's use of the phrase "Mongol-types" may have been just a descriptor, separate from any views he may have held on Mongolia or Mongols. It is worth noting that some Orcs use crooked or bent swords (Tolkien also uses the term scimitar, which is historically associated with the Middle East).[29]

Orcs, however, are not Men. Unlike the wicked Men who serve the Enemy, who might have been enslaved or beguiled, Orcs are portrayed as irredeemably evil, or at least having a redemption outside the scope of the narrative. The origin of Orcs is not clear, but they may be products of Morgoth's sorcery or the descendants of tortured and ruined Elves or Men. Regardless of their origins, they are not presented as a natural race.[30]

Dwarves as Jews[edit | edit source]

The Long Lost Treasure Casatshok by Henning Janssen
See also: #Nazism and Judaism

Tolkien himself compared Dwarves to Jews:

The dwarves of course are quite obviously... couldn't you say that in many ways they remind you of the Jews? Their words are Semitic obviously, constructed to be Semitic. [...] There's a tremendous love of the artefact, and of course the immense warlike capacity of the Jews, which we tend to forget nowadays.
—J.R.R. Tolkien to Denys Gueroult[31]

In another letter, he makes the same comparison, but this time it is explicitly about both peoples being dispossessed of their lands, forced to wander the world, and adopt the languages of other lands: both were "at once natives and aliens in their habitations, speaking the languages of the country, but with an accent due to their own private tongue…"[32]

Rebecca Brackman notes that although Tolkien was not a conscious antisemite, he was influenced by the popular perception towards the Jews, including by tropes and stereotypes considered "antisemitic" today; such tropes were found in classical and contemporary works including The Merchant of Venice or Oliver Twist, that portrayed the Jews as greedy, alien, and as cowardly comical reliefs. The Dwarves in The Hobbit display such traits at several points in the story and are portrayed as comical, unheroic, alien, and functioning under their own interests ("dwarves are not heroes, but calculating folk with a great idea of the value of money"[33]).[34]

In his later works, Tolkien paints a mostly positive picture of the dwarves (Gimli of course is brave and honourable, and "few Dwarves ever served the enemy willingly", contrary to the tales of Men[35]) and elsewhere he made explicitly positive statements about the Jewish people.[6]

However, one of the weaknesses of the Dwarves was their greed for gold and other riches, amplified by the Seven Rings.[36] Some see a connection between this and the stereotype of the Jewish usurer. It is also possible to draw a connection between the bearded Dwarves and the beards of Orthodox Jews. This, though, has more of an origin in Norse mythology than Jewish stereotypes.

Númenóreans[edit | edit source]

Tar-Míriel by Turner Mohan

Tolkien has divine beings blessing or gifting peoples or persons and their descendants, having thus the concept of the chosen people who differ from others — in Tolkien's case, the Dúnedain (literally "Men of the West") of Númenor. It should be also noted that according to Theosophy, Ariosophy and Nazism, the Aryan race is supposedly descended from Atlantis.[37]

Although gifted, many of Tolkien's Númenóreans are evil. In the Appendices to the Return of the King, Númenórean fleets sail to Middle-earth, where they conquer and subjugate native peoples in what may be a commentary on European imperialism. The Númenóreans ultimately cause their own downfall by following the teachings of Morgoth, conducting human sacrifices, and making war on Valinor. At least three of the Nazgûl are Númenóreans.

Light vs. Dark[edit | edit source]

Some critics have declared that there is racism in Tolkien's works through his use of words such as "light" and "white" vs. "dark" or "black". For instance, in 2002, John Yatt in The Guardian wrote: "White men are good, 'dark' men are bad, orcs are worst of all."[38] Other critics disagree with such clear-cut generalizations of Tolkien's "white" and "dark" men into good and bad.

The whole of Tolkien's legendarium contains a conflict between "light" (The Trees, the Silmarils) and "darkness" (the literal absence of light). Morgoth's standard was "sable unblazoned" (that is, plain black).[39] "Mordor" means "black land" in Sindarin.[40] If one were to analyse this through a racial lense, the ongoing clash may be interpreted as containing racial symbolism of light skinned versus dark skinned peoples, although Eöl, father of Maeglin was known as the Dark Elf,[41] and the Moriquendi were called the Elves of Darkness. Both these terms refer to remaining outside the light of the two trees, not to skin tone. The Black Númenóreans are likewise named because of the colour of their allegiance to Sauron and their heraldry, not their skin tone. Considering this, Tolkien's assignment of Good and Evil to "light" and "dark" cannot simply be dismissed as racial undertones within the broader narrative.

As Tom Shippey points out, it is important to view the context behind the writing. Tolkien wrote as if he were writing a medieval text from the perspective of a prescientific medieval people.

The mention in ‘The Battle of the Pelennor Fields’ of ‘black men like half-trolls’ certainly sounds racist. I think I would say here that Tolkien at this point is trying to write like a medieval chronicler, and when medieval Europeans first encountered sub-Saharan Africans, they were genuinely confused about them, and rather frightened. As Tolkien pointed out in his early scholarly works, the ancient English seemed to have a belief in fire-demons, who naturally enough had skin like soot – their word for them, ‘harwan’, is related to Latin ‘carbo’, ‘soot,’ or carbon. An Anglo-Saxon meeting an African for the first time might then really wonder (for a moment, from a distance) whether this was a demon from his own mythology. This doesn’t mean that Tolkien shared the mythology, or the mistake.[9]
—Tom Shippey

White is also not always associated with good. Noteworthy examples are Gríma, Gollum, and at least two of the Nazgûl. Lotho Sackville-Baggins and the ruffians are white-skinned characters who ravage and take over the Shire. Saruman the White and his symbol the White Hand are associated with evil and corruption. Orcs are described as "sallow" (pale).[28] Similarly black is not only associated with evil as Gondor uses a black standard bearing the White Tree, and the Guards of the Citadel of Minas Tirith wore black chain mail. In The Peoples of Middle-earth, three Númenórean ships are followed by a boat with black sails. One of the mariners explains to a native of Middle-earth, scared that the black sails indicate doom, that the blackness is in fact a thing of beauty, the night sky of Elbereth (who kindled the stars). Indeed, Tolkien states that one of Morgoth's (literally, the Black Enemy) victories was in associating darkness and night with fear and evil.

The symbolism of light as good and dark as evil is ever-present in much of literature, modern and historical. Light vs. dark is a prehistoric dichotomy present in a great many cultures, Western and otherwise. A common theme, it is seen in religion from all parts of the world,[42] including Christianity (John 8:12 Jesus Christ said, "I am the Light of the World, Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.")[43]

Moral geography[edit | edit source]

Moral geography of Middle-earth according to John Magoun

Tolkien wrote that Arda was not a different fantasy universe but a fictional era in Earth's history.[44] This has led to criticisms with some similarities noticed between the peoples in different regions of Middle-earth and their corresponding Earth location. It has also been pointed out that Aman, the Blessed Realm, is the westernmost part of Arda which areas in the South and East are often associated with evil.[45]

It should be noted that Tolkien only made precise geographic correspondences of Third Age Middle-earth locations to those in the real world. For example, Hobbiton was at the latitude of Oxford.[46] The Shire was based upon, but was not actually rural England, since "the lands [have] changed" since then.[47] Tolkien made no precise correspondences regarding the peoples concerned. Though the Hobbits were based upon rural English folk, they were not literally ancient Englishmen. He never said that Harad was Africa, nor the Eastlands Asia, nor their inhabitants' ancestors of Africans or Asians.

The Daily Telegraph Magazine suggested in a draft of an article that North was "a sacred direction" for Tolkien. He responded to this admitting that he did have an affection for it as he (and most of his ancestors) were from North-west Europe but that he did not have an exclusive preference for it and that this did not affect his writings, something that further analysis of his writings would show.[46]

The East and South are not the only places that are associated with evil, especially in earlier history. In the First Age, evil came from the North when Morgoth based himself in Angband. Also, all Men and Elves first awoke in the East. Boromir is introduced as a "man from the South"[48] without qualification (actually South-west).

Racial superiority[edit | edit source]

The differences between races and racial hierarchy have led to the claims of racism in Arda. This claim can also be taken a step further to say for example, "The Haradrim were based on Mongolians and were bad and morally inferior to Elves and other Men so therefore Tolkien viewed Mongolians as inferior."

Part of the controversy may be caused in part by the conflicting uses of the word race. When we talk about race in humans we most often mean ethnic or cultural subgroups of humans. In Tolkien's writings, race is more similar to different species. Saying that Dwarves are better blacksmiths than Men is therefore more akin to claiming humans are better blacksmiths than bears, a generally uncontroversial statement.

While no significant proof has been found proving that any (human) races are superior,[49] the different races of Middle-earth were created separately and in some cases by different beings. These differences are not due to failings of that particular group but to the goal their creator had in mind.

Additionally, while some beings in Middle-earth are objectively more powerful than others they are not necessarily portrayed as lesser because of it. Although in Middle-earth Hobbits were considered unimportant (by those who had even heard of them) and for most of history they were content to leave and be left alone by the world,[47] Hobbits had a massive influence on the events of the last Third Age, saving Middle-earth from the dominion of Sauron. In a book with wizards, kings and soldiers, Tolkien stated that Sam, a gardener of the Shire, was the chief hero of the book.[50]

All the "superior" people, be they Elves, Edain or Dunedain, have no direct analogues with peoples of the real world. If the Dunedain could be put somewhere, they would belong in Atlantis, since Númenor was Middle-earth's counterpart to Plato's Atlantis.[51] The Rohirrim, who have been parallelled to blond and fair Europeans, are "inferior" to them, being Middle Men, in their view.

Race mixing[edit | edit source]

Critics have noticed possible themes of scientific racism and eugenics in Tolkien's writing primarily due to actual or feared racial decline due to race mixing.[52]

Of the Orcs of Isengard, Treebeard states:

It is a mark of evil things that came in the Great Darkness that they cannot abide the Sun; but Saruman's Orcs can endure it, even if they hate it. I wonder what he has done? Are they Men he has ruined, or has he blended the races of Orcs and Men? That would be a black evil![53]

There were three marriages between an Eldar and Edain, Lúthien and Beren, Idril and Tuor, and Arwen and Aragorn.[54] Despite there being concerns from characters, primarily the fathers of the Elves, these unions are portrayed positively with the love story of Beren and Lúthien being inspired by his own wife, Edith.[55]

The blood of Númenor ran nearly true in the character of Faramir,[56] a man whom Tolkien described as "modest, fair-minded and scrupulously just, and very merciful",[57] yet he chose to marry Éowyn, who was a woman of Rohan and therefore undoubtedly of the race of Middle Men.[58][59]

Racism in Middle-earth[edit | edit source]

Tolkien portrays racism within the "heroic" races as unabashedly negative. Elves and Dwarves distrust each other. Some Elves hunted the Petty-dwarves as animals,[60] as did the Rohirrim to the Woses.[61] The friendship between Legolas and Gimli is portrayed as unusual but commendable,[62] and several scenes illustrate them learning to understand and respect each other's cultural differences. When Gimli meets Galadriel and hears her speak the names of Kheled-zâram, Kibil-nâla, and Khazad-dûm in his own tongue, he is described as feeling as if he had"looked into the heart of an enemy and saw there love and understanding."[63] Later, when he originally asks for nothing of Lady Galadriel, although she had given every other member of the Fellowship a gift, she says, "Let none say again that Dwarves are grasping and ungracious!"[64]

It is notable that there is apparently racism within the ranks of Orcs as the Uruk-hai held themselves as superior to the common Orcs, whom they called snaga (slave).[65]

The point-of-view characters of the book -- the hobbits -- are themselves of a race that is frequently described as being overlooked, under-estimated, and lightly regarded by the other races of Middle-earth, yet they often demonstrate far greater courage and nobility than the races who denigrate them. They are not without prejudice, however, and Gandalf is shown reprimanding Frodo for his comments on Barliman Butterbur.[66]

The Númenóreans of Gondor fell to infighting because of a supposed need for racial purity, especially concerning the ancestry of their king (the Kin-strife), and grew weaker as a result. In this affair, the villain was the pure-blooded Númenórean Castamir while the hero was the half-Númenórean Eldacar.

Counterindications[edit | edit source]

Tolkien's defenders assert that many criticisms of racism and elitism levelled at The Lord of the Rings and other writings are oversimplifications and generalizations, and do not take account of everything the author may have written concerning these matters.

While some of his views may be seen as outdated today, Tolkien was fairly progressive for his time when it came to race. It seems unlikely that Tolkien who opposed the idea that some races were superior to others would choose to consciously use that as an element in his writings.

Tolkien was English and wanted to make a mythology for England. Therefore he wrote The Lord of the Rings according to his people's point of view. He could not make his protagonists, say, Incan or Japanese, or even put the setting anywhere else than (an alternative) North-western Europe, in spirit if not in actuality.

Middle-earth has been praised for its diversity and polyculturalism.

Views[edit | edit source]

Nazism and Judaism[edit | edit source]

Tolkien's German publisher, Rütten & Loening, asked if he was of arisch (Aryan) origin. This angered Tolkien who complained of the "lunatic laws" and "wholly pernicious and unscientific race-doctrine". He wrote that he was inclined to refuse to give proof of his Aryan origin, which would result The Lord of the Rings not being published in Germany.[4] Tolkien was staunchly opposed to, in his words, "that ruddy little ignoramus Adolf Hitler".[3]

Tolkien was friends with many Jewish people and had great respect for them.[4] In one letter he writes about a Jewish historian named Cecil Roth. He describes him as "charming" and "full of gentleness", writing that they stayed up until midnight talking.[67]

On the flip side, Tolkien was critical of anti-German (as opposed to anti-Nazi) propaganda during WWII.[3]

There was a solemn article in the local paper seriously advocating systematic exterminating of the entire German nation as the only proper course after military victory: because, if you please, they are rattlesnakes, and don't know the difference between good and evil! (What of the writer?) The Germans have just as much right to declare the Poles and Jews exterminable vermin, subhuman, as we have to select the Germans: in other words, no right, whatever they have done.[68]
Letter 81

Apartheid[edit | edit source]

Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein in the Orange Free State (now the Free State province of South Africa) and moved to England at the age of three.[69] Tolkien was outspoken against apartheid.

I have the hatred of apartheid in my bones; and most of all I detest the segregation or separation of Language and Literature. I do not care which of them you think White.
—From a Valedictory Address to the University of Oxford in 1959

As for what you say or hint of ‘local’ conditions: I knew of them. I don't think they have much changed (even for the worse). I used to hear them discussed by my mother; and have ever since taken a special interest in that part of the world. The treatment of colour nearly always horrifies anyone going out from Britain, & not only in South Africa. Unfort[unately], not many retain that generous sentiment for long.
Letter 61 — Written to Christopher Tolkien who was stationed in South Africa during World War II

Usage of Tolkien's works to defend racism[edit | edit source]

In Italy, The Lord of the Rings is considered fascist by some groups and Italian fascist organisations are allegedly using the book for recruiting.[70] Alleanza Nazionale, a right-oriented Italian political party, took a picture from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring to promote a speech by his leader, Gianfranco Fini.[71] However, Tolkien himself stated in a letter to his son in 1943 that My political opinions lean more and more to Anarchy (philosophically understood, meaning the abolition of control not whiskered men with bombs)-or to 'unconstitutional' Monarchy.[72] Thus this makes any notion of Tolkien being fascist defunct.

Tolkien's works have also been embraced by self-admitted racists such as the British National Party.[73]

Helen Young, a historian studying the connection between medievalism and white supremacy, explains the appeal of Tolkien's works to racists and white supremacists:

In Middle Earth, [sic] unlike reality, race is objectively real rather than socially constructed. There are species (elves, men, dwarves, etc.), but within those species there are races that conform to 19th-century race theory, in that their physical attributes (hair color, etc.) are associated with non-physical attributes that are both personal and cultural. There is also an explicit racial hierarchy which is, again, real in the world of the story. Middle Earth is literally a racist's fantasy land.[52]
—Helen Young

External links[edit | edit source]

References

  1. David Ibata, "‘Lord’ of racism? Critics view trilogy as discriminatory" dated 18 August 2019, Chicago Tribune (accessed 26 February 2024)
  2. C.S. Lewis, The Dethronement of Power
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 45, (dated 9 June 1941)
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 29, (dated 25 July 1938)
  5. J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 61, (dated 18 April 1944)
  6. 6.0 6.1 J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 30, (dated 25 July 1938)
  7. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, "Foreword to the Second Edition"
  8. Christine Chism, "Race and Ethnicity in Tolkien's Works" In Drout, Michael (ed.). J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia
  9. 9.0 9.1 Dimitra Fimi, "Revisiting Race in Tolkien’s Legendarium: Constructing Cultures and Ideologies in an Imaginary World" dated 28 March 2012, https://dimitrafimi.com/ (accessed 26 February 2024)
  10. Sam Thielman, "‘The history of fantasy is racialized’: Lord of the Rings series sparks debate over race" dated 20 February 2022, The Guardian (accessed 29 February 2024)
  11. Dimitra Fimi, Tolkien, Race, and Cultural History: From Fairies to Hobbits
  12. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "The Black Gate Opens", p. 646
  13. Jane Chance, Tolkien and the Invention of Myth
  14. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, "The Stairs of Cirith Ungol"
  15. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "The Tower of Cirith Ungol"
  16. "Sam Gamgee’s Brown Hands", Ask About Middle-Earth (accessed 28 March 2024)
  17. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The House of Eorl"
  18. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "Strider" p. 165
  19. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix F, "The Languages and Peoples of the Third Age", "Of Men"
  20. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The Drúedain"
  21. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "The Steward and the King", p. 968
  22. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "XIII. Last Writings", pp. 384-5
  23. "Lord of the Rings labelled racist" dated 14 December 2002, The Scotsman (accessed 26 February 2024)
  24. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "The Bridge of Khazad-dûm", p. 329
  25. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "The Land of Shadow", p. 924
  26. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, "The Uruk-hai", p. 451
  27. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, "The Uruk-hai"
  28. 28.0 28.1 J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 210, (undated, written June 1958)
  29. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, "The Departure of Boromir"
  30. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor"
  31. An Interview with J.R.R.T.; the second phrase was edited out of the broadcast but published in Zak Cramer's "Jewish Influences in Middle-earth", in Mallorn 44 (2006), p. 10
  32. J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 176, (dated 8 December 1955)
  33. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "Inside Information"
  34. Brackmann, Rebecca (2010) "'Dwarves are Not Heroes': Antisemitism and the Dwarves in J.R.R. Tolkien's Writing", Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature: Vol. 28: No. 3, Article 7
  35. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix F, "The Languages and Peoples of the Third Age", "Of Other Races"
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  37. Alfred Rosenberg, The Myth of the Twentieth Century
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