Reaching back in this thread for some grist for my mill...
Kransha said:
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Absolute evil, a very touchy subject. In my opinion (not necessarily that of others) you are right about the power representation. This is where LotR falters. Power is not always evil, it can be used for good.
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Touchy indeed, as the short history of this thread seems to bear out! But to the point at hand: I never saw the power itself as an evil, and certainly it has its uses. The evil comes when one
desires that power. Desire is what draws them into corruption. The Elves wielded great power, but they did not desire more. The Dwarves also wielded power, but were reclusive and tended not to engage in wars of conquest. Men, however, were ripe for seduction, being innately desirous of power and willing to compromise certain moral and ethical standards in order to gain it. ("The end justifies the means" being a characteristic quote in illustration.) I cannot remember where I read it, but the very idea of fighting a "Long Defeat," a battle without hope of more than a temporary victory, the object becomes not the winning of the war but how the participants behave in the fight, whether honor is maintained on a personal level as well as a larger scale of "us vs. them." The very fact that Saruman falls so completely and yet Frodo is willing to forgive him and wish him to find his cure is indicative of the tone and message of Tolkien's work. The theme is not just good vs. evil on a grand scale, but also on a personal scale, and, to me, that prompts me to take a closer look at my own mundane world and how I live my life. If I could get a bumper sticker that said "What Would Frodo Do?" I would! (Except that I don't ever put them on my car...it would sit by my computer more likely!) [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]
Anyway, my latest rhapsodizing on a theme is over for now. I hope you all have enjoyed it! I take my leave. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]
Cheers,
Lyta
P.S. Great post,
Imladris! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]
<font size=1 color=339966>[ 11:15 PM February 05, 2004: Message edited by: Lyta_Underhill ]