[Lush]

I read this thread with an increasing feeling of sadness. It seems that a few couple of people on here immeditely associate rape with sex, and the fact that "obsession with sex seems to be a major thing with our culture." Rape is a form of violence, and, in war, a kind of weapon. It seems perfectly reasonable that in a book that mainly deals with war, rape would occur.

Rape is a part of our lives and a part of our myths, we should be able to discuss its possibilities in a literary context without claiming that other just have dirty minds, or something like that.

Why so uncomfortable with a perfectly legitimate, if disturbing subject? Is it because we sexualize rape too much, make it into something its not?

As for my personal opinion on the matter, I believe Celebrian was raped. That's how I read it the first time I picked up the book. The vague "torment" and the inability to heal psychologically in a world that would constantly remind her of what happend are consistent with trauma following sexual assault. You don't have to see it the way I do, but I hope my viewpoint doesn't make me into just another sex-obsessed modern person, daring to defile Tolkien's writing with my so-called dirty thoughts.