Numenorean Likenesses

[Tuor in Gondolin]

There is a similarity in the growing arrogance and greed
of Numenoreans in their prosperity and relative safety
from Middle-earth travails, and the arrogance and greed
of, mainly but not exclusively, the curent American
Republican ruling establishment toward the world outside the U.S.
America's relative (despite 9/11 when compared
to, say, Europe) safety and ability to project power to the
other regions of earth is remarkably similar to the Numenoreans.
Perhaps regular elections might have saved Numenor?

[Glirdan]

Perhaps regular elections might have saved Numenor?(Tuor)

Ah! Democracy! What a wonderful solution. Who knows? Maybe it would have saved them.

This glob of dust may be here for a long time, in some form or other, whether the human race as we know will is another matter, maybe sometime in the future seven spaceships may escape this madness and find peace on a planet to be named Middle-earth, the problem is we are cursed with the Pandora's Box syndrome and how will we purge ourselves of our base instincts, will we transport our disease across the universe or will mankind grow up one day and become Elven.(narfforc)

This is an interesting theory that I myself actually thought of. It all depends who departs in those space ships now doesn't it? We cannot send the VIP's (aka, the President of the States, the Prime-Minister of Canada, the Queen of England [although that probably wouldn't be a bad choice]) as the same greed and power will travel with them and all the others, just as it would have been if Ar-Pharazôn would have departed for Middle-Earth instead of Valinor. But if we (by we, I mean us Downer's [for the most part]), just like Eärendil, departed on those ships instead of the VIP's, would we be able to stem the greed and arrogance?

[ninja91]

Well, I dont see the need to bash Bush, and for that matter I do not know why politics is being discussed.
But yeah, I would not mind becoming and elf...

[Glirdan]

Ninja, I'm not bashing just Bush (although I really don't like the guy), I'm maknig an inquiry(sp?) about our lives! Look at it this way: we know that the Professor incorporated WWII as well as many other symbolic representations (such as religion and science). How do we know that he didn't incorporate mankind's foolishness, greed and arrogance?

[Thinlómien]

Originally Posted by Glirdan

Look at it this way: we know that the Professor incorporated WWII as well as many other symbolice representations (such as religion and science). How do we know that he didn't incorporate mankind's foolishness, greed and arrogance?

I think he did.

One thing we should maybe remember, is that Tolkien himself (if I'm not totally mistaken), like his character Faramir, dreamed of a great wave that wipes away...

I think the issue has been become more emphasized and clear lately. Maybe we could compare the tsunami in East Asia and the hurricanes on the North American coast as the sea against the humans, like with Númenórë.

Maybe Tolkien was a prophet.

[Glirdan]

Maybe Tolkien was a prophet.

Now that's what I call a creepy thought. *Shudders*

One thing we should maybe remember, is that Tolkien himself (if I'm not totally mistaken), like his character Faramir, dreamed of a great wave that wipes away...

I think the issue has been become more emphasized and clear lately. Maybe we could compare the tsunami in East Asia and the hurricanes on the North American coast as the sea against the humans, like with Númenórë.

This is an interesting idea and new information to me. I rather like this comparison. My reason being is this: in any great novel (Mary Shelley's Frankenstein for instance) when somebody dies in water, they are cleansed of their sins. The same case applies to fire. We could even link this to the great flood where only Noah and his family survived. Could Tolkien have been comparing Eärendil to Noah?

[Raynor]

Could Tolkien have been comparing Eärendil to Noah?

I wouldn't say so; the closest to that would be Elendil (Tolkien calls him a "Noachian figure" in letter #131). He discussed in the letters and the Notion Club Papers about about Earendil being a divine messenger (but not Christ).