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Old 11-08-2003, 11:05 AM   #5
Child of the 7th Age
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Saucepan Man,

At the risk of raising issues that go far astray from the question you posted, I am going to plunge ahead....

The minute that I saw the interview was by Philip Pullman, a red flag went up. I think it is impossible to assess the comments put forward about Tolkien's characters without considering who the author is and where he's coming from.

Let me begin by saying that, if you have not read His Dark Materials trilogy (and unlike the Rings it is a trilogy), you are in for a treat. I consider it one of the finest fantasy series written since Tolkien, at least if you are judging by things like creativity, believability, and writing style.

On the face of it, Pullman and Tolkien have quite a bit in common. Both lived and taught at Oxford. Pullman's degree is also in English. I understand that New Line Cinema is negotiating to get the rights to His Dark Materials to turn it into a movie! Like Tolkien, Pullman writes a story of good versus evil and hearkens back to older sources, with a religious or mythological slant. He also confirms that the biblical creation story in the Garden of Eden and "Paradise Lost" were the major influences on the series. Like Tolkien, Pullman's story is shot through with religious and philosophical meaning.

At that point, however, the similarity ends. What Pullman does is stand Tolkien's Legendarium on its head. The Authority or God-figure is a distant, dislikeable figure who is pulling a sham on all of humankind. The heroes are those who rebel against him. The church itself plays an important role as an authoritarian institution; those who are moral are those who oppose it. Pullman grew up as the son of an Anglican clergyman and obviously developed some very strong likes and dislikes!

In my fantasies, I have dreamed of getting Pullman and JRRT together in one room, locking the door, walking away and coming back in a few hours!

My main point is this: I don't think you can evaluate Pullman's comments without understanding where he is coming from philosophically and religiously. My gut feeling is that Pullman would be incapable of giving an honest, balanced assessment of Tolkien's characters. I think those characters have too much of Tolkien himself in them--his world view and beliefs--for Pullman to empathize with their plight. And the same thing would probably have been true of Tolkien. If he had read His Dark Materials, he would probably have disliked it.

To be truthful, how much can any of us divorce ourselves from our basic values and ways of looking at things? And how much does that influence our assessment of a piece of literature? When I read His Dark Materials, I couldn't put it down. I knew it was very well written and creative. Yet at the same time I was reading it, I found myself disliking the underlying philosophical and religious assumptions. My own stance, while far from identical with that of Tolkien, is closer to his views than those of Pullman. (Now, if you had asked me that in the late 60s, I might have said something else!) And yes, as a historian, I have studied instance after instance of religious institutions acting in cruel and unconscionable ways, so I know Pullman has a point. But, even with this said, my basic sympathies lie with Tolkien.

It is quite clear to me why Pullman would be uncomfortable and critical of Tolkien. They come from totally different vantage points, and I don't feel that either would be able to appreciate or understand the other.

BTW, I once put up a thread comparing these two authors, but had few takers. Still wondering if anyone out there has any views and opinions on Pullman in relation to Tolkien.......
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