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Cimmerian · 07-09-2002, 06:40 AM

From the point of view of JRRT's writing, I have this opinion -

Some say that during the time when JRRT wrote his epic, in the 1950's, women in our society played a much secondary role to men than it is today. Though again not as much as they did in the middle ages upon when this tale is set. So Tolkien was influenced by his times and surroundings and also on the time set of his tale.
But I say, what is imagination and creativity if not to go beyond the times and norms and to write fantasy, defintely the word for what this is. Did Jules Verne need to go to the bottom of the sea and live there to write his classic masterpiece, did Isaac Asimov live on the moon to need to write Science Fiction?
Niether did JRRT require to stay within his confines to write his story. He could have easily written women in even more major roles in his story because everything was imaginable and possible to write. He wrote about elves, didn't he? After he imagined them.

So does that make him a sexist, as some so vociferously claim?

But no. I suggest that everyone should take a look at if not read some of the Fantasy writings featured in the early 1920s and 30s, featuring some timelines even more ancient and barbaric than the middle ages. Excellent books on Sword and Sandal Sagas, Science Fiction and all those thick, juicy pulp magazines. Every one of them portrayed women in major influencial roles, most notably the works of my favourite author REH. Women in power, Great Queens, Warriors, Amazons, Sorceresses and the like. Women who made men dance to their every whim, women who ruled the world.
But they all had a price. They were also women who hardly wore any clothes at all. Every one of these women were sexually explicit in their portrayal in order to enhance the stories and promote sales.

JRRT could have easily done that, but he didn't; instead the women in LOTR are seen as homely, serene and caring motherly figures, even capable of powerful feats but ever ready to take a back seat.
Then would you still call this man a sexist for his work that so flawlessly respects womanhood, and that which I believe is more for women than against.
This some of you need to realise.

whu .. huh .... er, I think that the effect of the sobriety pill is wearing off... better go see what's going on in the RPG rooms.

07-09-2002, 06:40 AM	#56
Cimmerian Shade of Carn Dûm Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Aquilonia Posts: 382	From the point of view of JRRT's writing, I have this opinion - Some say that during the time when JRRT wrote his epic, in the 1950's, women in our society played a much secondary role to men than it is today. Though again not as much as they did in the middle ages upon when this tale is set. So Tolkien was influenced by his times and surroundings and also on the time set of his tale. But I say, what is imagination and creativity if not to go beyond the times and norms and to write fantasy, defintely the word for what this is. Did Jules Verne need to go to the bottom of the sea and live there to write his classic masterpiece, did Isaac Asimov live on the moon to need to write Science Fiction? Niether did JRRT require to stay within his confines to write his story. He could have easily written women in even more major roles in his story because everything was imaginable and possible to write. He wrote about elves, didn't he? After he imagined them. So does that make him a sexist, as some so vociferously claim? But no. I suggest that everyone should take a look at if not read some of the Fantasy writings featured in the early 1920s and 30s, featuring some timelines even more ancient and barbaric than the middle ages. Excellent books on Sword and Sandal Sagas, Science Fiction and all those thick, juicy pulp magazines. Every one of them portrayed women in major influencial roles, most notably the works of my favourite author REH. Women in power, Great Queens, Warriors, Amazons, Sorceresses and the like. Women who made men dance to their every whim, women who ruled the world. But they all had a price. They were also women who hardly wore any clothes at all. Every one of these women were sexually explicit in their portrayal in order to enhance the stories and promote sales. JRRT could have easily done that, but he didn't; instead the women in LOTR are seen as homely, serene and caring motherly figures, even capable of powerful feats but ever ready to take a back seat. Then would you still call this man a sexist for his work that so flawlessly respects womanhood, and that which I believe is more for women than against. This some of you need to realise. whu .. huh .... er, I think that the effect of the sobriety pill is wearing off... better go see what's going on in the RPG rooms. __________________ IN STEEL I TRUST, BY CROM!